The general rule for Copyright is that (1) your right exists from the moment of creation, but (2) you can't enforce the right until you register and (3) if you register within 3 months of publication, or before infringement, then you have the full range of statutory damages available. The above statements aren't absolute, they are general rules.

Below are questions that (a) deal specifically with computer program copyright registration and (b) are general registration questions. These are all questions that we will need answered to know how to prepare the copyright application for a computer programs. Call a copyright attorney if you have any questions.

(a) Computer Copyright Questions:

(1) Is the source code for the program you want to copyright more than 50 pages, when it is printed on 8.5 x 11 paper?

(a) Can you print it out?

(2) Is the object code for the program you want to copyright more than 50 pages, when it is printed on 8.5 x 11 paper?

(a) Can you print it out?

(3) Is this copyright registration for the whole program, a part of the program, or a revision to a program?

(a) If it is for less than the whole program, did all the programming come from your programmers or engineers?

(b) If not, were the portions used from some other source used with permission or use public domain material?

(c) What were the other source (s)?

(4) Is the original part (the part you are seeking to copyright now) contained within the first or last 25 pages of the source code?

(5) Are you trying to copyright graphics?

(a) If so, how important to the program is graphics (a %) ?

(6) Does the program you are trying to copyright contain any trade secrets?

(a) If the program is less than a total of 50 printed pages, if we block out the trade secret portions (for example, by blocking out whole modules, or by blocking out alternative lines of code) can we still have a minimum of 10 pages with nothing blocked out?

(b) General Copyright Questions -- These come up in every copyright application:

(1) What is the title of the work?

(a) are there any volume numbers, version numbers, etc?

(2) Was this written by employees of your company?

(a) If yes, go to (3)

(b) If not, such as by either a freelancer hired by you, or by an independent author who sold it to you,

(i) what is the name of the author?

(ii) what is his/her date of birth?

(iii) what is his citizenship and/or residence? (specify which)

(c) repeat (b) for any people who were authors

(3) In what year was the work complete?

(4) Was the work published?

(a) where?

(b) what date? (Month, Day, Year)

(5) What is your correct, legal name?

(6) If not written by your employees, how did you get ownership of this copyright?

(7) Are parts of any other work included in your work?

(a) what was the preexisting work?

(b) what was added to the preexisting work to get the present work?

(8) Who will sign on behalf of your company?

(a) Name?

(b) Title, or position with company?

(9) What is your address?

Glossary:

"work" is whatever the subject matter of the copyright -- whether it is a computer program, a novel, a photo, a graphic, audiovisual or sound recording. It is short for the statute's "work of authorship".

"author" is the legal creator and first owner of a copyrighted work, but it might be a company, where the work is prepared by an employee in the scope or his or her employment, or it might be a real person, whether a computer programmer, a writer, a composer, a photographer, sculptor, architect, etc.