We have learned that some authors are receiving deceptive and fraudulent emails from someone impersonating the United States Copyright Office (USCO), asking recipients to verify their copyright registrations. These emails are fraudulent and do not come from the Copyright Office.

Authentic emails from the USCO end in @copyright.gov. Importantly, the USCO does not “demand payment by email or text, threaten lawsuits, or require immediate action to avoid penalties” (Beware of Copyright Scams: How to Spot Fraud and Protect Yourself).

These imposter emails, sent from the domain “@copyrightgov.org” and the non-existent “United States Copyright Authority,” falsely claim to be sent as an “OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION FROM THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND COPYRIGHT OFFICE,” which appears to combine the names of the Copyright Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). They tell recipients that they must verify certain details for their copyright registration to remain viable and that confirmation is required under federal law. This is untrue.

These emails may contain real copyright registration identifiers, which makes them appear legitimate—but they are not.

How to Protect Yourself

• Take a moment to review and verify the authenticity of the communication, including by carefully checking the email address from which it has been sent.
• Log in to the Electronic Copyright Office portal to check if it is an official confirmed communications from the USCO.
• Report any fraudulent emails to the Office of Inspector General at the Copyright Office: https://www.loc.gov/about/office-of-the-inspector-general/contact-us/
• Report any fraudulent emails to the FTC: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
• Report any fraudulent emails to the FBI, Internet Crime Division: https://www.ic3.gov/

We advise members to beware of unsolicited messages; if you have received a similar message or another message you believe to be a scam, email us at staff@authorsguild.org.