US Copyright Office Proposes 55% Fee Hike for Photo Registration

The US Copyright Office has proposed increasing the fee for registering photographs from $55 to $85, a 55% rise, citing inflation and rising operational costs. The March 2026 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking also includes a 268% increase for updates to news websites and an average 43% fee hike across services. The Office estimates the new fees would generate $51 million annually over five years, up from $41 million, achieving 53% cost recovery in the first year. Critics, led by the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), argue the increase is unfair and based on flawed assumptions. NPPA General Counsel Mickey Osterreicher and Deputy General Counsel Alicia Calzada submitted comments opposing the hike, noting that a Copyright Alliance survey of over 500 creators found 44% had not registered in five years, primarily due to cost. The NPPA contends the Office's per-image cost framework (e.g., $0.11 per photo at maximum submission) is misleading, as photographers register in bulk to protect a few valuable images, making the total annual cost the real burden. They urge the Office to delay the increase until modernization of the registration system is complete—a process photographers have awaited for over a decade. The NPPA warns that higher fees will reduce participation in the registration system, undermining economic sustainability and public accountability for visual journalists.