What's a copyright sample?

When you submit your application for copyright registration, the Copyright Office requires that you include a sample (or deposit) of the copyrighted work, along with the applicable fees. The sort of sample required depends on the type of work which is being registered. Typically, published works require two copies of "the best edition". 

Whatever the type of copyrighted work, ensure that your sample shows how the work demonstrates the copyright notice. For example, if you are registering the copyright of a statue or sculpture, be sure to include an image of the copyright notice at the base. 

The following information comes primarily from the Copyright Office publication 7b. 

Copyright samples:

• Printed Materials: If unpublished, one copy of the work is required. The Copyright Office requires two copies of the work's "Best Edition" for published works. "Best Edition", roughly speaking, means the nicest version of the work — ie, hardcover over soft, illustrated over unillustrated. For more information, take a look at publication 7b. 
• Photographs: If unpublished, one sample is needed. For published works, two samples are required. Archival-quality photographs are preferred, and they should be unframed/unmounted. The work should be submitted in the dimensions of the most widely distributed edition. Otherwise, an 8x10-inch glossy finish is fine.
• For slides: samples should be at least 35mm in mounts no larger than 3x3 inches.
• Visual Arts: 
• Unpublished works: One sample is required. Per Copyright Office publication 40a, "identifiable material" is sometimes sufficient. 
• Published artwork, illustration, drawings, maps, prints, posters, brochures, etc.: two samples are required
• Published advertisements, fashion designs, architectural designs, book covers, album covers, wallpaper, decals, stationery, postcards, and the like: one sample is sufficient. 
• "Identifiable Material" is often allowable in place of works which cannot reasonably be submitted in samples. For example, 3-dimensional objects, works published in limited editions (less than 300 copies for an individual owner), or work that is only machine-readable. For such works, photographs showing the work which meets the above requirements of photographic work are generally acceptable.
• Audiovisual Work and Motion Pictures: One copy of the work, plus a written description (script, synopsis, etc.).
• Samples are preferred in the film medium, preferably in the preprinted material or in the film gauge in which the work was most widely distributed. Else, 3.35mm is preferred. It is possible to submit 4.16mm or 5.8mm if other formats are unavailable, but 65mm and other special formats are only allowed for special cases. 
• Videotape is preferable to videodisc, preferably in the most widely distributed tape gauge. Otherwise, the 2-inch tape is preferable to 1-inch tape, which is preferable to 3/4-inch tape. Lastly, VHS is preferable to Beta.
• Musical Recordings: The required sample depends upon whether the application is to register the music itself or the performance of it (or both).
• For the music only: if the recording is the only copy of the music being registered, then one copy is required (if the music exists in written form, then the written form should be submitted instead). 
• For the performance, two copies of the recording should be submitted along with the copyright registration application.
• Preferred media for audio recordings:
1. CD (compact digital disc)
2. Vinyl disc (a record)
3. Open-reel tape
4. Cartridge tape
5. Cassette tape
• The best available audio format is preferred (quadrophonic over stereophonic, stereophonic over monaural, etc.)
• Musical Compositions: Two copies of written musical work are required. If the music exists only as a recording, see the above requirements for musical recordings. 
• Software/Computer Programs: For programs that are 50 pages or less, a single complete copy of the code suffices for the copyright sample. For larger programs, the first and last 25 pages of code must be submitted, including the notice of copyright on at least one page.
• Be aware of revealing trade secrets, and, if possible, arrange your code so that any such sensitive information is not to be found in the first or last 25 pages. If this is not possible, it is permissible to redact certain lines of code. See Copyright Circular 61 for more information. 
• The Library of Congress may require a machine-readable version of your program. If that is the case, the following preferences apply: 
1. With documents and accompanying material rather than without.
2. Not copy-protected rather than copy-protected
3. For PC or MS-DOS: best edition CD-ROM or optical media adhering to prevailing NISO standards is preferable; otherwise, a 5 1/4" Diskette; finally, a 3 1/2" Diskette is acceptable if other formats are unavailable. 
4. For Apple Macintosh: best edition CD-ROM or optical media adhering to prevailing NISO standards, otherwise 3 /12" Diskette.