JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Copyright office really slow

In May 2008 I sent in a collection of songs to be registered, I still don't have confirmation from them. I know government workers can be slow but this is unbelieveable. Any of you experience this?

I just submitted a collection and the lead time is supposed to be 8 months if you use the form you fill out on line, print off and send in (it generates bar codes to speed everything up!). More like 18 months if you use a blank form and write everything in. I will report back in 8 months to see if they actually live up to their promises.

I know this is a silly question but was your address complete on the form you used. They are probably slow as they get about 20,000 items a year and they may have less personnel to do the job. There are new addresses where you send your material. The last time I registered something I used the Address on the Eco form but sent the PA Short form. It worked. I got back my Registration in about 4 months. Mercury goes direct today so communications will go forward again.

I agree a year is redicilous but maybe it is because you are in Canada.

Yeah, it's ridiculous Everett. I think all they do is party at the copyright office. They certainly don't get much work done.

When sending copyright registration through the mail, you should always send it with a Delivery Confirmation. At least that way you have proof the copyright office received it and it wasn’t lost in the mail. Of course there’s still a good possibility of getting lost within the Library of Congress (mine did once).

I inquired about an old copyright of mine a couple years ago. They were going to charge me something like $300 - $400 to track it. I told them to forget it. Probably couldn’t find it anyway.

A really screwed-up place.

John

Hi Everett.

I have sent about 20 during the last 6 months and the turn-a-round for me has been about 4 weeks.

Thats when I get the certificate.

Mind you I do it all on line. Maybe that makes a difference.

And I am in the UK

Roy

I sent one in in 08 also. The wait time was supposed to be 15 months at that time. Last week i finally sent a letter to find WTH was the delay in case I messed up on a question or something. And I did have the forsight to get delivery confirmation so we'll see.... http://www.jakeblakeproject.com http://www.myspace.com/jakeblakeproject & on the AMI internet jukebox

Everette,

Last year, one of the things reported in various trade magazines, newspapers, the Internet, ASCAP, BMI, etc. that the copyright office is backed up about two years processing song copyrights, patents, literary works. There are literally tens of millions of applications that have to be gone through. They have been in a process of updating computer records for some time now. Look for it to come back to you some time around 2100.

MAB

Well,
In the mean time load your shotgun in case someone steals your song.

They keep jacking up the price and giving less service, typical government, which ever country you are in.I have three outstanding now, one in May, 2008, one in Sept.2008 and one in Jan 2010. I wonder if they cashed the money orders I sent?

I wish I could register on line but being on dial up sort of makes that impossible.

Hi Everett -
2008?? that seems like an excessive amount of time. I submitted by album end of 2009 and have already received my certicate. I DID register online, maybe that speeded the process.
It has always been a long wait, even when submitting by mail, but never that long ..

Dial -up can be so frustrating ..Library of Congress is encourageing on-line registration .. in the future you should try to find a friend or libray with high-speed dial-up ... Copyright fees are much lower on line than mail!

Hope you hear something soon
All the best
Joanne

I had a novel that took 8 months but my songs only took a few weeks. I was surprised. I submitted both online.

I had been wondering about the online process. It sounds like that gets done quicker.
Anybody else try it online?

Hey Stacey: Off subject, but you should change your display name to your actual name now that you're a "serious contributor" that way we can all get used to you by name!

As for the copyright stuff, imagine how many MORE health claims there are and how bad that is going to be? If UPS handled it, it would take less than a week. Let's privatize all this stuff and put the profits back into the companies that give great service instead of government monopolies. Anyone who supports MORE goverment control of ANYTHING outside of military/security and basic infrastructure needs to wake up.

Brian, you can call it a Government Monopoly, but it is still Bureaucracy. People with protected jobs, that do less than average work, and can retire with a nice pension. Been that way since we were born.

UPS, Fedex, etc, are good. Private companies always outperform the Government. It's there for all to see.

The only thing that we are giving up by not registering copyright is $10,000 in punitive damages. The rest is up to the court.

@ Brian... I did it and its awaiting your approval...thanks!