Foreign application practice

Copyrights are national creatures, and, as in the case of patents and trademarks, the issuance of a U.S. copyright registration confers copyright rights in the United States alone.  If you want to secure copyright rights in foreign countries, you must arrange for a copyright filing in each of the foreign countries in which you would like to secure rights, and, as in the case of patents and trademarks, a number of international treaties exist to facilitate the effectuation of multiple simultaneous filings at reduced cost.

Talk to your copyright attorney if you’re interested in foreign copyright rights, and make sure to have that discussion shortly after filing so that you can docket future deadlines accordingly.