Copyright Registration

***Advisory: In view of the state of national emergency that the country is facing, please see Public Advisory No. JET-01 dated Feb 1, 2021 for the guidelines on  application for Copyright registration.

Basic Information on Copyright

What is Copyright?

Copyright is a form of intellectual property right and refers to the legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works.

What Types of Rights does Copyright Provide?

• Economic Rights: refer to the rights of the author or copyright owner to derive financial reward from the use of his works by others.

• Moral Rights: refer to the rights of the author to claim authorship of the work (Right of Paternity) and the right to restrain the use of his name concerning any work, not of his creation or a distorted version of his work.

What is Covered by Copyright?

Copyright covers literary and artistic works, which is understood to include every original work of authorship regardless of artistic or literary merit.

Works covered by copyright include but are not limited to literary works such as novels, poems, and plays; newspaper articles; films and television programs; letters; artistic works including paintings, sculptures, drawings, and photographs; architecture; computer programs; and advertisements, maps, and technical drawings.

How Do I Obtain Copyright Protection?

Copyrightable works are granted automatic protection under the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines from the moment of their creation, irrespective of their mode or form of expression, as well as their content, quality, and purpose.

How Long Does Copyright Subsist?

In general, the term of protection of works under copyright covers the lifetime of the author and fifty (50) years after the author’s death.

What is a Published Work?

A published work is one that has been made available to the public prior to its registration. This includes works that have been made available on the Internet through YouTube, Spotify, Amazon, etc, and those that were posted on blogs.

What is an Unpublished Work?

An unpublished work is one that has not been disseminated to the public at the time of registration.

How do I register my copyright over my work?

If copyright ownership is being claimed by the author:

The following requirements need to be submitted:

1. Two copies of the Accomplished Application Form and the duly notarized affidavit. The form is downloadable at http:/bit.ly/3av5w8g.

2. Copies of the work being registered as deposit:

   1. For books and other related printed works: Two printed copies of the work (if the work is still unpublished, the copies submitted should be bound (soft bound or ring bound).

   2. For musical compositions, sound recordings, audiovisual works, or e-books: Two electronic copies saved in separate CDs or USB flash drives.

   3. For works of drawings, paintings, architectural works, sculpture, engraving, prints, lithography or other works of art, models or designs for works of art and photographic works: Two photographs of the works (for sculptures, photographs should be all sides of the work being registered).

   4. For Original Ornamental Design or Models for Articles of Manufacture and Industrial Objects, and Other Works of Applied Art: Two copies of the drawing of the design with the corresponding technical description.

   5. For Computer Programs: Two electronic copies saved in separate CDs or USB flash drives OR printed copies of the first 25 and last 25 pages of the source code (must be ring bound or soft bound).

3. Two pieces of documentary stamps (worth 35 pesos each).

4. Application Fee: Php 200.00

If copyright ownership is being claimed by another individual who is not the author:

The following requirements need to be submitted:

1. Two copies of the Accomplished Application Form and the duly notarized affidavit. The form is downloadable at http:/bit.ly/3av5w8g.

2. Copies of the work being registered as deposit:

   1. For books and other related printed works: Two copies of the final printed work (if the work is still unpublished, the copies submitted should be bound (soft bound or ring bound).

   2. For musical compositions, sound recordings, audiovisual works, or e-books: Two electronic copies saved in separate CDs or USB flash drives.

   3. For works of drawings, paintings, architectural works, sculpture, engraving, prints, lithography or other works of art, models or designs for works of art and photographic works: Two photographs of the works (for sculptures, photographs should be all sides of the work being registered).

   4. For Original Ornamental Design or Models for Articles of Manufacture and Industrial Objects, and Other Works of Applied Art: Two copies of the drawing of the design with the corresponding technical description.

   5. For Computer Programs: Two electronic copies saved in separate CDs or USB flash drives OR printed copies of the first 25 and last 25 pages of the source code (must be ring bound or soft bound).

3. Two pieces of documentary stamps (worth 35 pesos each)

4. A duly notarized document indicating the transfer of copyright ownership, such as a waiver, deed of assignment, publishing agreement, affidavit of heirship, etc.

5. Application Fee: Php 200.00

If copyright ownership is being claimed by an enterprise or corporation:

The following requirements need to be submitted:

1. Two copies of the Accomplished Application Form and the duly notarized affidavit. The form is downloadable at http:/bit.ly/3av5w8g.

2. Copies of the work being registered as deposit:

   1. For books and other related printed works: Two printed copies of the work (if the work is still unpublished, the copies submitted should be bound (soft bound or ring bound).

   2. For musical compositions, sound recordings, audiovisual works, or e-books: Two electronic copies saved in separate CDs or USB flash drives.

   3. For works of drawings, paintings, architectural works, sculpture, engraving, prints, lithography or other works of art, models or designs for works of art and photographic works: Two photographs of the works (for sculptures, photographs should be all sides of the work being registered).

   4. For Original Ornamental Design or Models for Articles of Manufacture and Industrial Objects, and Other Works of Applied Art: Two copies of the drawing of the design with the corresponding technical description.

   5. For Computer Programs: Two electronic copies saved in separate CDs or USB flash drives OR printed copies of the first 25 and last 25 pages of the source code (must be ring bound or soft bound).

3. Two pieces of documentary stamps (worth 35 pesos each)

4. A duly notarized document indicating the transfer of copyright ownership, such as a waiver, deed of assignment, publishing agreement, affidavit of heirship, etc.

5. Photocopy of DTI Registration (for single proprietorship) or SEC Certificate (for corporations)

6. Application Fee: Php 200.00

How much does it cost?

The application fee is Two Hundred Pesos per application.

How do I submit my application for copyright registration?

In view of the state of national emergency, the National Library of the Philippines accepts application for copyright registration via electronic mail, as per Public Advisory No. JET-02 dated May 23, 2020.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Send the scanned copies of the accomplished application form with duly notarized affidavit and the duly notarized supporting documents (if necessary) to copyright@nlp.gov.ph.

2. The email sent should have the following email subject line:  APPLICATION FOR COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION BY (Name of the Applicant)

3. Applicants will be informed of the status of their application upon evaluation of the emailed documents.

4. Once the application is approved, the Copyright Section will notify the applicant to send the hard copies of the requirements listed above to the National Library of the Philippines via mail/courier.

5. Applicants with approved and processed applications have the option to claim their Certificates of Copyright Registration and Deposit personally at NLP or have their certificates sent to them thru registered mail. A scanned copy, which serves as a Provisional Copyright Certificate, will also be sent to applicant’s email address.

6. Applicants who intend to claim their certificates personally should inform the Copyright Section of their intention to do so upon submission of their applications.

7. The standard processing time is 10 days for 1 to 10 applications. Applications received at 4:00 PM shall be processed the next day.

How do I pay the application fee?

Payments can be sent to the National Library of the Philippines through postal money order addressed to The National Library of the Philippines.

Some points to note:

*** An Author or creator refers to the natural person who created the work.

*** If the applicant is anon-resident foreigner, he/she should appoint a local authorized agent by a special power of attorney to complete the copyright application on his/her behalf.

***If the applicant is a minor, the affidavit should be signed and executed by his/her parent or guardian.

*** If a representative is filing the application on behalf of the author, a special power of attorney, if representing a natural person or a Board Resolution or a Secretary's Certificate, if representing a juridical person, should be submitted.

*** Published works being submitted for copyright registration should carry a copyright notice printed in front or at the back of the title page (for books) or in any clear space (for non-book materials such as CDs, posters, brochures, etc.) in the following form:

Philippine Copyright (Year of Publication) by (Name of Copyright Owner)

Contact Information

Should you wish to mail or hand-deliver your forms and requirements address them to:

National Library of the Philippines

Copyright Section

Research and Publications Division

T.M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila

If you have any queries about the process and requirements, please contact the Copyright Section of NLP through:

Email Address: copyright@nlp.gov.ph

Telephone: (632) 5310-5035 / 5336-7200 loc. 411