Circular 5: Copyright Office Deposit Account

w 	copyright.gov
CIRCULAR
5
You can establish a deposit account through the Copyright
Office’s online registration system or by mail with an initial
minimum deposit of $450 or a larger amount agreed to by
the Copyright Office.
By the Online Registration System
To open a deposit account using the Office’s online registra-
tion system, you will need a user ID and a password. If you
do not yet have a user ID or a password, go to the Copyright
Office’s website and click on “Register a Copyright” and then
on “Log in to eCO.” On the log-in screen, click on the link to
register as a new user. Once you obtain a user ID and a pass-
word and enter the electronic registration system, click on the
“Organization / DA” link in the left-hand column. Follow the
prompts to provide the information required to identify an
organization, establish a deposit account, and authorize users
to access the account. After you complete these steps, contact
the Copyright Office to activate the deposit account.
By Mail
If you open a deposit account by mail, complete the form at
the end of this circular and prepare an initial deposit of $450
or more by check or money order made payable to Register
of Copyrights. Mail the form and payment to
Deposit Accounts
Copyright Accounts Section
P.O. Box 71380
Washington, DC 20024-1380
You will receive an acknowledgement telling you that the
account has been established in the name you gave on the form
and notifying you of the number assigned to the account.
The U.S. Copyright Office maintains
a system of deposit accounts for the
convenience of frequent users of the
Office’s services.1 An individual or a
firm can establish a deposit account,
make advance deposits into it, and
charge copyright fees against the
account balance instead of sending
separate remittances with applications
and other requests for services.
To hold a deposit account with the
Office, you must (1) request twelve
or more transactions a year with the
Office and (2) maintain a minimum
deposit of $450.
How to Open and Maintain a
Copyright Office Deposit
Account

How to Open and Maintain a Copyright Office Deposit Account	2
Using a Deposit Account
To charge service fees against a deposit account, provide the exact name and the number of the
account on all requests. When you file a copyright claim using online registration, enter this infor-
mation when you are asked to make payment. When you request other services, look for the space
on each form to provide this information.
Maintaining a Deposit Account
To replenish a deposit account, you must submit amounts of no less than $450. Deposit accounts
established through the Office’s online registration system can be replenished by electronic funds
transfer (EFT), credit card, or check. Deposit accounts not attached to an online account can be
replenished by check, money order, EFT, or credit card.
note: The Copyright Office will charge a $100 service charge for handling dishonored replenishment
checks.
Check or Money Order
To replenish an account by check or money order, send the payment to the address listed above.
Credit Card
To replenish an account by credit card, call (202) 707-6896, fax (202) 252-2098, or email
depositaccts@copyright.gov.
Electronic Funds Transfer
To replenish an account by EFT, do not send a prenotification to the Copyright Office. Use the
cash concentration or disbursement format for a one-time payment and provide your financial
institution with this exact information regarding your Automated Clearing House (ACH) electronic
transfer of funds:
Receiving Financial Institution: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Location: 701 E. Byrd Street, Richmond, VA 23219
Receiving American Banking Association (ABA) number: 051036706
Account number: 303049
Account name: Register of Copyrights
In addition, the addenda sequence field must include the following information in this exact
order: deposit account number, name of deposit account holder, and personal representative of the
deposit account holder. Example: 0001da003333/ACME Publishers, Inc. (John B. Gray)
Account Statements
The Office sends an account’s personal representative a monthly statement for any month during
which an account is active, showing deposits, charges, and balances. However, deposit account hold-
ers should keep their own records to ensure that there are sufficient funds to cover their requests.

How to Open and Maintain a Copyright Office Deposit Account	3
No statement will be sent for any month during which no transactions occur. To ensure delivery of
electronic statements, make sure to provide current contact information. If you want to update your
contact information, send a request to depositaccts@copyright.gov.
Failing to Maintain a Sufficient Balance
When you use a deposit account, it is important to maintain a sufficient balance for the services you
request. Using a deposit account with insufficient funds can lead to delays in processing, additional
fees, and legal consequences.
If you use an underfunded deposit account to pay the filing fee for registration, the Office’s
Accounts Section will notify you in writing of the insufficient funds. If the correct filing fee is sub-
mitted within forty-five days after notice, and all other materials are in the possession of the Office,
the Office will change the effective date of registration to reflect the date on which all required mate-
rials were received and proceed to examine your application. If you do not respond within forty-five
days, the Office will close your file, and you will have to resubmit your application. For more infor-
mation about the effective date of registration, see Copyright Registration (Circular 2).
If your deposit account has sufficient fees for one or more, but not all, services you request, the
Office will apply the fees to the services in no particular order until the funds have been exhausted.
The Office will not communicate with you to determine the order in which requested services
should proceed.
If you submit requests for services for which no deposit account funds are available, the Office
will charged you a $250 “overdraft” fee to cover the cost of extra processing. It will apply the fee for
each occurrence, not for each claim filed or service requested without funds available. For example,
if you submit five registration claims, but the account is exhausted with the first claim, the Office
will apply the service charge once, not five times.
The Office will close a deposit account the second time a deposit account holder overdraws it
within any twelve-month period.
note
1. This circular is intended as an overview of deposit accounts. The authoritative source for U.S.
copyright law is the Copyright Act, codified in Title 17 of the United States Code. Copyright Office
regulations are codified in Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Copyright Office practices and
procedures are summarized in the third edition of the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices,
cited as the Compendium. The copyright law, regulations, and the Compendium are available on the
Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov.

1 	U. S. Copyright Office · Library of Congress · 101 Independence Avenue SE · Washington, DC 20559 · copyright.govCIRCULAR 5 REVISED: 03/2021 	PRINT: 00/0000 — 0000
For Further Information
By Internet
The copyright law, the Compendium, electronic registration, application forms, regulations,
and related materials are available on the Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov.
By Email
To send an email inquiry, click the Contact Us link on the Copyright Office website.
By Telephone
For general information, call the Copyright Public Information Office at (202) 707-3000 or
1-877-476-0778 (toll free). Staff members are on duty from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, eastern time,
Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. To request application forms or circulars by
postal mail, call (202) 707-9100 or 1-877-476-0778 and leave a recorded message.
By Regular Mail
Write to
Library of Congress
U.S. Copyright Office
Outreach and Education Section
101 Independence Avenue, SE #6304
Washington, DC 20559-6304

Use this form or a photocopy of this form to establish a deposit account.
Enclosed is my remittance of $ ____________________ to establish a deposit account
Under the name 	__________________________________________________________________________
Address 	__________________________________________________________________________
street
__________________________________________________________________________
city 	state 	zip
__________________________________________________________________________
phone (w⁄area code) 	fax (w⁄area code)
__________________________________________________________________________
email
Please give the name of the person to whom you want monthly statements and “no funds” notifications to be sent.
Attention of 	__________________________________________________________________________
Signature 	__________________________________________________________________________
Mail to: Deposit Accounts, Copyright Accounts Section, P O Box 71380, Washington, DC 20024-1380
How to Open and Maintain a
Copyright Office Deposit Account