I'm aware of this. Copyright.gov will be my best friend once I send my first manuscript to my editor, as I want to get ahead of this before any issues arise.
Absolutely — that sounds like a smart step. Registering both copyright and ISBN will give your guidebook the protection and visibility it deserves. Wishing you all the best as you move it forward.
I’m so excited to see you, Dr. Nicole! I love diving into this stuff, so I can’t wait to hear your questions at the session. Bring that notebook — it’ll be a fun and practical conversation.
This is an excellent read, and I see how Cardi prevailed. However, I wonder if it's also a mistake on the part of Cardi's legal team not to have protected her version, since the track wasn't protected in the first place.
That’s a really good question. One key point is that Cardi B’s team did federally register her copyright in the song — the effective registration date is March 27, 2025, a little over a year after its March 14, 2024 debut.
It’s also important to understand what registration does (and doesn’t) mean. The Copyright Office isn’t verifying whether a work is original or who truly owns it — they’re checking that the application is properly filed, the deposit copy is submitted, and the fee is paid. That means registrations can be (and often are) issued even where authorship dates are wrong, or even if someone doesn’t actually own the work. Registration isn’t conclusive proof — it’s just a legal prerequisite to enforce rights in court.
So having a registration doesn’t automatically protect you from an infringement claim. Courts still have to decide whether one work is “substantially similar” to another and whether infringement occurred. Even someone with a valid registration can be found liable for infringing another’s work.
Finally, Cardi hasn’t technically “prevailed” yet. Her legal team is currently asking the court to dismiss the case because the plaintiff hasn’t registered their work, which is required under 17 U.S.C. § 411(a). If that dismissal is granted without prejudice, the plaintiff could simply register their work and refile the lawsuit.
Is the process expensive to register? I will try but can the process get expensive for each work, Podcast, design that I create and is this the same for the images that I create or the format of a program or system that I create on my website. Such as a networking group or cohort format?
Really great question, LaMont — and I love all the questions, so keep them coming!
The short answer is: no, registration itself isn’t that expensive. Filing fees usually range from about $45 to a couple hundred dollars, depending on the type of work and whether you’re registering a group of works together. On its face, the process is more affordable than most people expect.
But here’s the bigger point: the strategy behind registration is what you’re really investing in. For example, if you look at Cardi B’s registration for Enough (Miami), it wasn’t filed until more than a year after the song’s release. That doesn’t mean she didn’t have good lawyers — it means there were probably a lot of negotiations happening in the background about who would ultimately own or control rights in the song. The registration certificate you see in the public record doesn’t show all that strategy, but it reflects it.
That’s what a good attorney helps you with: not just filling out a form, but deciding when to register, what to register together, and how to structure ownership so your works are protected, leveraged, and monetized the right way. So the filing fee may be low, but the value comes from making sure the registration is part of a bigger plan.
Thanks so much, Xandria! I’m really glad you enjoyed it. I hope you also had a chance to sign up for our upcoming workshop — if not, you can head back to the article to register. Would love to see you there!
Wrong? No. But, legit? In my opinion, no.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I'm aware of this. Copyright.gov will be my best friend once I send my first manuscript to my editor, as I want to get ahead of this before any issues arise.
That’s such a wise step. Protecting your manuscript early ensures you stay in control of your work as it makes its way through the publishing process.
This was sooo helpful. I now have a better understanding of how copyright infringement works and how to tackle it early.
Glad it helped you! :).
Thanks. I’m aware of copyright. I’m vetting my guidebook & will submit for my copyright & ISBN number.
Appreciate this post
Absolutely — that sounds like a smart step. Registering both copyright and ISBN will give your guidebook the protection and visibility it deserves. Wishing you all the best as you move it forward.
Thank you. New territory for sure!
Interesting Read
Such an eye opener
Thank you so much!
You're welcome
Thank you for responding and including the statute!
Of course!
I am truly looking forward to this!! I have a few things I'd love to copyright! So, I will be present with my notebook!!
I’m so excited to see you, Dr. Nicole! I love diving into this stuff, so I can’t wait to hear your questions at the session. Bring that notebook — it’ll be a fun and practical conversation.
This is an excellent read, and I see how Cardi prevailed. However, I wonder if it's also a mistake on the part of Cardi's legal team not to have protected her version, since the track wasn't protected in the first place.
That’s a really good question. One key point is that Cardi B’s team did federally register her copyright in the song — the effective registration date is March 27, 2025, a little over a year after its March 14, 2024 debut.
It’s also important to understand what registration does (and doesn’t) mean. The Copyright Office isn’t verifying whether a work is original or who truly owns it — they’re checking that the application is properly filed, the deposit copy is submitted, and the fee is paid. That means registrations can be (and often are) issued even where authorship dates are wrong, or even if someone doesn’t actually own the work. Registration isn’t conclusive proof — it’s just a legal prerequisite to enforce rights in court.
So having a registration doesn’t automatically protect you from an infringement claim. Courts still have to decide whether one work is “substantially similar” to another and whether infringement occurred. Even someone with a valid registration can be found liable for infringing another’s work.
Finally, Cardi hasn’t technically “prevailed” yet. Her legal team is currently asking the court to dismiss the case because the plaintiff hasn’t registered their work, which is required under 17 U.S.C. § 411(a). If that dismissal is granted without prejudice, the plaintiff could simply register their work and refile the lawsuit.
Thank you for sharing this. Great read.
Is the process expensive to register? I will try but can the process get expensive for each work, Podcast, design that I create and is this the same for the images that I create or the format of a program or system that I create on my website. Such as a networking group or cohort format?
Sorry about all the questions 😊
Really great question, LaMont — and I love all the questions, so keep them coming!
The short answer is: no, registration itself isn’t that expensive. Filing fees usually range from about $45 to a couple hundred dollars, depending on the type of work and whether you’re registering a group of works together. On its face, the process is more affordable than most people expect.
But here’s the bigger point: the strategy behind registration is what you’re really investing in. For example, if you look at Cardi B’s registration for Enough (Miami), it wasn’t filed until more than a year after the song’s release. That doesn’t mean she didn’t have good lawyers — it means there were probably a lot of negotiations happening in the background about who would ultimately own or control rights in the song. The registration certificate you see in the public record doesn’t show all that strategy, but it reflects it.
That’s what a good attorney helps you with: not just filling out a form, but deciding when to register, what to register together, and how to structure ownership so your works are protected, leveraged, and monetized the right way. So the filing fee may be low, but the value comes from making sure the registration is part of a bigger plan.
Appreciate this. Thank you
This was a good read.
Thanks so much, Xandria! I’m really glad you enjoyed it. I hope you also had a chance to sign up for our upcoming workshop — if not, you can head back to the article to register. Would love to see you there!