Copyright Office submits proposed fee changes to Congress
The U.S. Copyright Office has submitted a proposed fee schedule to Congress that could raise the cost of many copyright services in fall 2026 while preserving a lower-cost registration option for eligible creators.
The Office submitted the schedule and supporting analysis on July 14, 2026. It is the first broad change to the Office’s fees since 2020, but the new schedule is not yet in effect. As of Aug. 4, 2026, the proposal remains under the statutory congressional-review process.
What changed after public comments
The revised schedule follows a March 2026 proposal that called for an average fee increase of 43%. That figure described the average increase in the earlier proposal, not a uniform increase for every copyright service.
The Office said it received 81 public comments, including concerns about inflation and the effect of higher charges on individual creators and small businesses. After reviewing the comments, it changed several parts of the plan.
One important change was retaining the Single Application, a streamlined option for eligible applicants registering one work by one author who is also the sole copyright claimant. The March proposal had sought to eliminate the option. Under the July schedule, the proposed fee would rise from $45 to $55, while remaining below the proposed Standard Application fee.
The Office also lowered some proposed fees for group-registration services and reduced the proposed base fee for paper filings of notices of termination. The paper notice-of-termination fee would rise from $125 to $275 under the revised proposal, rather than to the $320 amount in the March plan.
How the congressional review works
Section 708 of the Copyright Act requires the Register of Copyrights to submit a proposed fee schedule and economic analysis to Congress. The proposed fees may be instituted after 120 days from the submission unless Congress enacts a law during that period stating that it does not approve the schedule.
Because the submission date was July 14, the review period is active as of Aug. 4. The Office is targeting implementation in fall 2026, but it has not announced an exact effective date. The fees therefore remain proposed, and the Office must still complete its implementation steps.
Why the Office says fees are rising
The Copyright Office says fees have covered a declining share of its operating costs as expenses and inflation have increased. The proposal reports that fees covered 41% of the Office’s actual expenses in fiscal year 2024, compared with roughly 60% during much of the 2009-to-2018 period.
The agency says the proposed changes would recover a greater share of the reasonable costs of registration, recordation, searches and related services while maintaining access to the copyright system. The proposal says copyright registration and recordation are voluntary under U.S. law, although registration can provide important documentation and legal benefits for copyright owners.
Who could be affected
The proposed changes could affect authors, photographers, musicians, filmmakers, publishers, software companies and other individuals or businesses that use Copyright Office registration and recordation services. Paper filers and users of some group-registration options could face changes that differ from the amounts described in the original March proposal.
People considering a filing should check the current fee schedule before submitting an application. Until a new schedule is officially implemented, the existing fees remain in effect.
What to watch next
The next major checkpoint is the end of the 120-day congressional review period, followed by any implementation notice from the Copyright Office. The final service-by-service fee table will matter because the proposal does not apply the same percentage change to every filing or recordation service.
The proposal concerns the administrative cost of using Copyright Office services. It does not change which works qualify for copyright protection or otherwise rewrite the substantive rights provided by copyright law.
Sources
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
