Bipartisan members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Peter Welch (D-VT), have introduced the “Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act of 2025” (“VACRA”), a bill aimed at streamlining the copyright registration process for visual artists.[1]  The bill answers concerns expressed by commercial photographers and other high-volume artists that the current registration process is too bureaucratic and expensive to effectively protect and enforce copyrights in their work.

Under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, copyright protection attaches automatically once an original work is created and fixed in a tangible medium.  However, copyright owners cannot enforce their rights in federal court unless and until the work is registered with the Copyright Office. 

In a December 18, 2025 press release, Senator Welch emphasized the need to modernize the copyright registration process, noting that “visual artists often struggle to protect the authenticity of their work because of the unique challenges facing high-volume artists.”[2]  Senator Blackburn added that the bill would “fix a broken system by cutting unnecessary costs and bureaucracy.”[3]

The Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act of 2025

If enacted, VACRA would make copyright registration significantly more efficient and affordable in several ways. 

First, it directs the Register of Copyrights to establish a process allowing a copyright owner to register up to 3,000 photographs with a single application.[4]  Currently, the Copyright Office limits photographers to group registrations of 750 images at a cost of $55 per registration.[5]  VACRA would further simplify group registrations by removing the requirement that all photographs in a group be published in the same calendar year.  Instead, registrations could be submitted “without regard to publication status, date of publication, or date of creation.”[6] 

VACRA also directs the Register of Copyrights to issue regulations allowing “all-you-can-eat” registration subscriptions for pictorial, graphic and sculptural works.[7]  Under this model, a copyright owner who pays for an annual or periodical subscription would not need to pay separate filing fees for copyright registrations, supplementary registrations or deferred registrations.

The bill additionally adopts a “deferred registration” option.[8]  Currently, registration fees are based on the Copyright Office’s administrative costs,[9] making them prohibitive for many high-volume artists—particularly pictorial, graphic and sculptural artists.  VACRA’s deferred registration would cost one-half the standard application fee and defer examination until the copyright owner requests it.[10]  Importantly, registrations would be effective as of the date the deferred application is filed, allowing the owner to enforce the copyright in court even before examination.[11]

Finally, under VACRA, the Register of Copyrights would establish regulations providing for certification of searchable, private third-party registries that maintain electronic copies of copyrighted photographs and corresponding copyright holder information.[12]  Section 407 of the Copyright Act currently requires copyright owners to deposit two copies of published works with the Copyright Office for the Library for Congress within three months of publication.[13]  Under VACRA, depositing a photograph with the third-party registry would satisfy all mandatory deposit requirements, streamlining the process and improving public access to information about deposited works.[14]

Improvements to Copyright Enforceability

Many in the photography world have applauded the proposed reforms.  David Trust, CEO of Professional Photographers of America (“PPA”), emphasized that “[t]he United States is the only country that requires creators to register their works before receiving full protection. It has been inexcusable that this problem has gone on for so long.”[15]  Thomas Maddrey, CEO of American Society of Media Photographers (“ASMP”), similarly praised the proposal, noting that “[t]hese sorely needed and common-sense reforms are long overdue and are a first step in bringing so many artists back into the very copyright system that is designed to support their efforts in the creative economy.”[16]

VACRA is the second recent congressional effort to strengthen copyright enforcement.  The Copyright Alternative in Small Claims Enforcement Act of 2020 (“CASE Act”) created the Copyright Claims Board, a streamlined tribunal within the U.S. Copyright Office for resolving copyright disputes under $30,000.[17]  This system aims to strengthen efficiency and affordability by allowing copyright holders to pursue smaller copyright claims outside of federal court.  It permits online proceedings and decisions issued by Copyright Claims Officers, eliminating the need for costly and burdensome litigation.  The Copyright Office is currently completing a mandatory assessment of the Board’s use and efficacy, to be delivered to Congress by February 2026.[18]

At a time when copyright infringement is pervasive, VACRA could empower more visual artists to protect their works by making the registration process simpler and less expensive.  To date, the bill has not attracted visible support from other senators, so its fate remains unknown.

[1] S. 3517, 119th Cong. (2025-2026).

[2] Welch, Blackburn Lead Bipartisan Legislation to Empower Visual Artists to Protect Their Work, Peter Welch, U.S. SENATOR FOR VERMONT (Dec. 18, 2025), https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-blackburn-lead-bipartisan-legislation-to-empower-visual-artists-to-protect-their-work/.

[3] Id.

[4] S. 3517, op. cit. § 3.

[5] Group Registration for Published Photographs, U.S. Copyright Office, https://www.copyright.gov/eco/help/group/grpph.html (last visited Jan. 2, 2026).

[6] S. 3517, op. cit. § 3.

[7] Id. § 7.

[8] Id. § 4.

[9] 17 U.S.C. 708(b).

[10] S. 3517, op. cit.§ 4.

[11] Id.

[12] Id. § 2.

[13] 17 U.S.C. § 407.

[14] S. 3517, op. cit. § 3.

[15] PPA Praises Introduction of Groundbreaking Legislation to Protect Professional Photographers, Professional Photographers of America (Dec. 17, 2025), https://www.ppa.com/articles/ppa-praises-introduction-of-groundbreaking-legislation-to-protect-professional-photographers.

[16] PRESS RELEASE: ASMP Applauds Introduction of the New Copyright Modernization Bill VACRA, American Society of Media Photographers (Dec. 17, 2025), https://www.asmp.org/press-release/press-release-asmp-applauds-introduction-of-the-new-copyright-modernization-bill-vacra/.

[17] 17 U.S.C. §§ 1501–1511.

[18] CASE Act Study, U.S. Copyright Office, https://www.copyright.gov/policy/CASE-study/ (last visited Jan. 20, 2026).