Registering collections of copyright work - Knowledge Base

We are often asked if it is possible to register a collection of related copyright works as a single item, and therefore only pay a single registrations fee.

Typical examples would be:

• Collections of poetry.
• An number of music tracks, i.e. an album, EP, demo, etc. containing multiple songs.
• Collections of photographs.
• Card designs.
• Other collections of artwork, drawings etc.

The simple answer is ‘Yes’, it is certainly possible to include a number of related works as a single registration, provided the following conditions are met.

1. All items should form part of a single project

   For example, if you were registering a music album as a single work, it would be normal to include any of the following:

   • The songs themselves (i.e. audio recordings).
   • Artwork for the cover and inlay card.
   • Lyrics used on the album.
   • Supporting documents, such as musical score, notation, midi files, etc. that directly relate to the songs on the album.

   You should not include items that are not directly related to the work being registered. Unrelated items should be treated as such and registered separately.

   The registration should reflect reality - if there are really two works there should be two registrations.

2. A registration can only have a single title.

   As a registration may only have a single title - The ‘title of work’ on the application form, you should therefore choose an overall title that describes the collection as a whole.

   In our example of a music album, it would be normal for the work title on the registration form to be the album title, (not a list of song titles).

   The individual titles of separate items, (if they have titles), would become part of the content of the overall registration. The registration title should be regarded as a simple ‘one liner’ that means something to you and will identify the work to you.

3. The copyright ownership of all the items should be the same

   Please see the point “Can I include works from different authors in the same registration?” on our registration questions page if you need clarification on this point.

To register a collection of related items under a single registration, simply enter a single collective title (i.e. the album/EP title) as the ‘title of work’ on the application form, and treat the collection as a single work.

The following pages and fact sheets provide further information which you may find useful.

Copyright registration forms

Common copyright registration questions

P-04: Copyright registration