U.S. Copyright Office Releases Final Reminder to Re-Register DMCA Agents Online

The U.S. Copyright Office has sent out a final reminder to all online service providers operating under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to re-designate an agent using the Office’s new online registration system. Any agents that were previously designated using the paper-based process will expire after December 31, 2017.

The Office’s new online system was launched in December of 2016, and replaces the old paper-based registration process. The Office is completing its transition over to the new system at the end of this year, and so any paper registrations still in place at that time will expire and become invalid effective January 1, 2018.

This is an important deadline that should not to be missed. All online services that have previously designated an agent with the Office should ensure that they have re-registered the designation using the online system no later than December 31, 2017. Any services that have already re-registered their designation using the online system do not need to take any further action at this time.