The Copyright Office has implemented a new registration option called Group Registration of Two-Dimensional Artwork (GR2D). It may be used to register between two and twenty works of two-dimensional art.
There are requirements:
1. The works must all have been published within the same calendar year (make sure you get advice about what “publication” means under US copyright law)
2. The works must be eligible types of artwork. Check that list carefully; many types of visual art cannot be registered under GR2D.
3. Three-dimensional works cannot be registered using this option, but two-dimensional artwork showing a three-dimensional perspective, whether hand drawn or digital, is allowed.
4. Don’t use this option to register photographs. There’s a separate process for registering groups of photos.
5. You must use the application form specific to GR2D, and you must upload deposit copies through the electronic Copyright Office (eCO) registration portal.
GR2D registration became available today — February 17, 2026.
And hey — why is copyright registration important?
You’re right. Copyright registration is not required. Copyright rights spring into existence the moment you fix your work in a tangible medium of expression.
However:
A. Registration establishes a public record of one’s copyright claim.
B. Before an infringement suit may be filed in court, a registration (or refusal) is required.
C. Registration establishes prima facie evidence of the validity of the copyright and the facts stated in the certificate, when registration is made before or within five years of publication.
D. When registration is made prior to infringement or within three months after publication, the copyright owner is eligible for statutory damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs.
E. Registration permits the copyright owner to establish a record with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)4 for protection against the importation of infringing copies.
F. That thing about mailing it to yourself? No. Just, no.
So one answer is: Registration with the US Copyright Office is important if you’re ever in a dispute and you want to win.
Will you register every work you ever created? Probably not.
But do register the golden eggs.