The existence of a copyright page in the proper form (see here) is sufficient to establish copyright. The author may also wish to have ProQuest “register” the copyright for a $65 fee, payable to ProQuest Information and Learning, at the Copyright Office in the Library of Congress. ProQuest recommends formal copyright registration. If there are concerns about future copyright infringement, registration of the copyright at the Copyright Office is recommended. ProQuest will accept money orders and personal checks for payment of this fee.

Registration of copyright is optional. ProQuest will act as the author’s agent and will deposit a microfiche or digital copy of the dissertation at the Copyright Office in the Library of Congress. Having the dissertation registered at the Copyright Office places the exact details of the copyright claim on public record, such registration being necessary if one is bringing suit for copyright infringement and seeking damages. Registration is also necessary if a missing or incorrect copyright or title page must be replaced. If the author chooses ProQuest as an agent, a signed authorization is necessary. A form for this purpose is included in the deposit materials received at the defense and is also available online in the ProQuest “Publishing your Dissertation” booklet. The author will hold the copyright. Later, if the author arranges to publish the dissertation commercially, the copyright registration may be transferred to a publisher. The copyright year is the same as the year in which the manuscript was completed. The author may also register the copyright directly with the Copyright Office at the Library of Congress, in which case the author would be responsible for sending additional copies of the dissertation to the Library of Congress.

Additional information can be found in the ProQuest “Publishing your Dissertation” booklet. Questions about copyrighting the thesis may be directed to Ms. Jerrie Gray at ProQuest: 1-822-521-0600, extension 2139.