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ETD: Uploading Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Step Seven

Register your U.S. Copyright (optional)

A thesis or dissertation automatically falls under general copyright protection as soon as it is fixed in final form. No fee or formal registration with the Library of Congress is required. However, a copyright notice should be placed on the page following the title page. This copyright notice is generally sufficient, but if formal registration is desired, you can have ProQuest register your copyright as part of the submission process.

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At ProQuest, we make copyright registration easy - by submitting your application to the United States Office of Copyright on your behalf and providing you with the certificate from the Library of Congress. Registering your copyright via ProQuest is the fastest and most efficient method currently available.

How to take advantage of our copyright service:

Registering with the U.S. Office of Copyright establishes your claim to the copyright for your dissertation/thesis and provides certain protections if your copyright is violated. Because of the availability of content on the open web via repositories and other avenues, registering for U.S. copyright can be a significant benefit for the protection of your work. By registering for U.S. copyright, you can protect your dissertation or thesis and become immediately eligible for statutory damages and attorney fees. Registering for copyright allows for the claimant to receive statutory damages set out in Title 17, Section 504 of the U.S. Code, which range from $750 - $150,000 USD plus attorney fees per copyright infraction. This contrasts with those who do not register for copyright - authors without copyright registration can claim only actual damages and no attorney fees.

If you wish, ProQuest Dissertation Publishing will act on your behalf as your agent with the United States Copyright Office and apply for copyright registration as part of the publishing process. Learn more

We will: 
 
  • Prepare an application in your name
  • Submit your application fee
  • Deposit the required copy or copies of the manuscript
  • Mail you the completed certificate of registration from the Library of Congress

 

 

1. Previous U.S. Copyright Registration

Has registration for your published dissertation/thesis, or for an earlier version of the manuscript, been made with the Copyright Office__?

 

 

 

2. Requesting ProQuest to file for U.S. Copyright Registration

  • __
  • __
     
    • I will pay a fee of $55.00 (U.S. dollars) to ProQuest for filing on my behalf with the U.S. Copyright Office.
    • I am the sole author of the dissertation or thesis I submitted to ProQuest.
    • I do not acknowledge any co-authors or co-claimants of my work.

 

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