For years, publishers have been without a cost-effective way to register the full content of news media websites. The U.S. Copyright Office recently addressed this need by creating a new "group" registration for online news publishers, which became available on July 22, 2024.
The new Group Registration for Updates to a News Website (GRNW) allows news publishers to protect frequently updated news websites as collective works. Under the GRNW option, the copyright application may include the initial version of the website published in a specific calendar month and subsequent updates from the same month. To qualify for this type of application, the website must be a "news website." The Copyright Office defines a news website as a "website that is designed to be a primary source of written information on current events, either local, national, or international in scope, that contains a broad range of news on all subjects and activities and is not limited to any specific subject matter."
Importantly, the complete contents of the website are not required as deposit materials and do not have to be filed with the Copyright Office. The identifying deposit should include an original selection of website content that constitutes a copyrightable compilation.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.