Here's how it works in both countries, what it costs, and when to do it.
Why registration matters
Copyright exists without registration in the US, Canada and almost every other country. But when someone uses your photo without paying, registration decides how strong your claim is.
- In the US, you need it to sue. You can't take an infringement case to federal court until the photo is registered.
- It qualifies you for statutory damages. A photo registered in time can earn $750 to $30,000 per work, and up to $150,000 if the use was willful, without you having to prove what you lost. Unregistered photos are limited to actual damages, usually the higher end of the license fee.
- It can cover legal fees. Timely registration in the US also lets a court award your attorney's fees.
- It's proof. A registration certificate is official evidence that you own the photo. That makes businesses take a claim seriously, fast.
That's why registered photos tend to settle higher. See what a photo claim is worth.
The timing rule that matters most (US)
To get statutory damages and legal fees, the photo has to be registered before the infringement started, or within three months of first publishing it. That three-month window runs from publication, not from when you find the infringement. When you found out matters for a different deadline: you generally have three years to bring a claim, and many US courts count that from when you discovered, or should have discovered, the infringement.
So the best habit is simple: register new work within three months of putting it online. Miss that window and you can still register, but you'll only get statutory damages for infringements that start after the registration date.
How to register photos with the US Copyright Office
The US Copyright Office has a group option made for photographers, called group registration for published photographs.
- Up to 750 photos in one application. All of them must be published in the same calendar year.
- One photographer. Every photo in the group must be by the same author.
- One fee: $55. That covers the whole group, up to 750 photos.
- A title list. You upload the photos (JPEG, GIF or TIFF) with a list giving each one's title, file name and month and year of publication.
The steps:
- Create an account on the Copyright Office's online system (eCO).
- Choose group registration for published photographs.
- Fill in the details: your name as author and claimant, and the earliest and latest publication dates in the group.
- Pay the $55 fee.
- Upload the photos and the title list.
Your registration counts from the day the Office receives a complete application, even though the certificate can take a while to arrive.
Unpublished photos have their own group option with a smaller limit. A single photo can also be registered on its own, but group registration is far cheaper per photo.
Anyone can register with the US Copyright Office, wherever they live. If your photos are used by US businesses, it's worth doing even if you're based elsewhere.
How to register photos in Canada
Canada's system is different. Copyright protection doesn't depend on registration, and Canada has statutory damages for commercial infringement either way. But registration still helps:
- It's official evidence that copyright exists and that you own it.
- It takes away the "I didn't know" excuse. A business can't easily claim it had no reason to think the photo was protected.
You register with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). The fee is $63 CAD online, or $81 CAD on paper.
Other countries
Most countries, including the UK, Australia and across the EU, have no copyright registration system. Your rights apply automatically. In those places, the best evidence is your original files, metadata and a record of where and when you published.
Let Pixsy register your photos for you
Doing it yourself works, but the forms, title lists and back-and-forth with the Copyright Office take time. With Pixsy Register, we do all of that for you, in the US and Canada, with up to 750 photos per registration.
- We prepare and submit the application. You choose the photos. We handle the forms, the title list and the filing with the US Copyright Office.
- We deal with the Copyright Office. If they have questions or need changes, we answer them, not you.
- Your certificate lands in your account. Once it's issued, we upload the certificate and registration details to your Pixsy account, so you always know what's registered and when.
- It's ready for your next case. If a registered photo turns up on a business website, the registration is already linked to it and ready to strengthen your claim.
It's open to photographers anywhere in the world. With the US Copyright Office it costs $99 for a single photo, or $119 for up to 750 photos in one registration. In Canada, a single photo is $119. Prices include the official filing fees.
"Registration is the strongest move a photographer can make before their work is ever stolen, yet too few do it because the process is slow and confusing. We built Pixsy Register to remove that excuse. You pick the photos, we handle everything else, and when an infringement comes, your registration is already working for you." Kain Jones, CEO and co-founder, Pixsy
And if one of your registered photos turns up on a business website, Pixsy Resolve can handle the claim on a no win, no fee basis.
Register your photos with Pixsy or sign up free to find where they're already being used.
Quick answers
Do I have to register my photos to own the copyright? No. You own it as soon as you take the photo. Registration is about enforcing it.
Can I register photos I've already published? Yes. You only get statutory damages for infringements that start after registration, unless you register within three months of first publishing.
I'm not American. Can I register with the US Copyright Office? Yes. It's open to anyone, and it's worth it if US businesses use your work.
How many photos can I register at once? Up to 750 published photos per US group application, as long as they were all published in the same calendar year.
What does it cost? If you file yourself, it's $55 for a US group of up to 750 published photos, or $63 CAD online in Canada. With Pixsy Register, $119 covers up to 750 photos with the US Copyright Office, filing fee included, and we do the work.
