Washington Copyright Office Why to register Siae, upon request, looks after the work’s registration at the Copyright Office in Washington. All original works fixed in either an expressive or tangible way that fall into the categories listed below, can be deposited at the Washington Copyright Office: Literary works (software is included in this category); Musical works, including text; Dramatic works, including music; Choreographies or pantomimes; Cinematographic and audio-visual works; Sound recordings; Architectural works. These are only General Categories, to which exceptions are made. For example, computer programs and most “compilations” belong to literary works; maps and architectural plans, on the other hand, can either be listed under the painting, graphic, or sculpture categories. The deposit can either be requested by the author or whoever has acquired the economic rights from him. However, in case of works made for hire or in the framework of a business contract, the buyer or employer are considered as authors and can, therefore, request the registration of the work. On this subject, one must keep in mind that the mere ownership of a book, manuscript, painting, or any other copy or phonorecord does not give the possessor the copyright. As per the present American Copyright law, no deposit of the work is necessary to obtain protection. Copyright is guaranteed the moment the work is created, i.e., when it is fixed in a copy or recorded on a sound carrier for the first time. A copy is are material object from which a work can be read or visually perceived either directly or with the aid of a machine or device, such as books, manuscripts, sheet music, film, videotape, or microfilm. There are several advantages in registering the work at the Washington Copyright Office, such as the evidence that the work has been submitted to a public register and the acquisition of a certificate of deposit. If the deposit of the work is made within five years from its publishing, in case of a judicial procedure, the registration is considered an incontestable proof of copyright in any American justice court. According to the American law, all protected works, including those from foreign countries, can be deposited at the Copyright Office in Washington. All unpublished works are protected, no matter what the nationality. Furthermore, the following are protected as well: works published for the first time in the United States or in any country with which a copyright Treaty has been signed, and those created by a citizen or resident of a country signatory of such a Treaty. For further information, please visit the Washington’s Copyright Office website at Washington: www.loc.gov/copyright. Forms Form for the deposit request at Washington’s Copyright Office. Fees The fees due to Siae for the deposit of the work at the Copyright Office in Washington are the following: USD 65 (The corresponding amount in euros is calculated according to the current exchange rate); Euro 41,32 (Lit. 80.000) – if a SIAE member, then the cost is reduced to euro 23,24 (Lit. 45.000); Shipping charges both for the delivery of the work to the Copyright Office in Washington through CAI-POST, as well as those for the mailing of the deposit certificate. The payment can be done either by: Cash; Debit card (only if done at SIAE’s Headquarters); Check addressed to SIAE; Deposit on postal account number n. 76808005 addressed to SIAE – OLAF Section; Bank transfer on the following UNICREDIT BANCA DI ROMA SpA – Roma Caravaggio – Piazzale dell’Industria, 46 – 00144 Roma – codice IBAN IT69 N 03002 05276 000002906956, addressed to SIAE – OLAF Section N.B. – The payment will need to be submitted after SIAE has contacted the applicant by phone to confirm the receipt of the material.