Why is There a Higher Copyright Fee for Two Writers?

Dear Rich: My wife and I write songs. For the last ten years we've been registering at the Copyright Office. But now things are different because they charge us a higher fee just because there are two writers. How can they get away with that? This year, the Copyright Office introduced a triple-tiered fee system. A single electronic application (details here) is $35, a standard electronic application (any electronic filing that doesn't qualify as a single application) is $55, and a paper application (remember them?) is $85! As for your question, "How can they get away with that?" -- check out this circular! Keep in mind, copyright registration is not mandatory (unless you're filing a lawsuit). You can read about the benefits here.