Special handling is the expedited processing of an application for registration of a claim to copyright or for the recordation of a document pertaining to copyright. It is granted by the U.S. Copyright Office in a limited number of cases to those who have compelling reasons for this service.

Instances for Which Special Handling is Granted

Special handling is granted only in special circumstances. These are:

• pending or prospective litigation
• customs matters, or
• contract or publishing deadlines that necessitate the expedited issuance of a certificate

Processing Time for Special Handling Cases

Once a request for special handling is approved, every attempt is made to process the claim or recordation within 5 working days. However, no guarantee is made that the work can be processed within this time. If correspondence is required, the Office makes every effort to process the claim expeditiously after the reply is received. Once a claim is processed, the Office either issues the certificate of registration or notifies the applicant of any defect in the claim. In the case of a document, the document is returned with a certificate of recordation.

Special Handling Fee

The fee for a special handling request is $580, plus a $30 registration filing fee ($60 for renewal) or, if the request is for recording a document, $330 plus the applicable recordation fee ($80for a document listing no more than 1 title, plus $20 for each group of 10 or fewer additional titles). The fee may be charged to a Deposit Account established in the Copyright Office or may be paid by check or money order. The fee may also be charged or paid in cash, if it is paid in person at the Copyright Office. Once a request for special handling is granted, the fee is not refundable. If a check is returned for insufficient funds, the registration or recordation will be cancelled.