How to register the software company

If there is no title copy, give an identifying phrase to serve as the title or state "untitled. If you want to include additional title s —for example, titles of individual works in an unpublished collection or works owned by the same claimant, click the "additional title" button.

A serial is a work issued or intended to be issued in successive parts and intended to be continued indefinitely. You can leave this blank. If the software application is known by another title, give that title here. Give the year in which creation of the software application was completed—the date you stood back, looked at the sceen and said, "I'm done.

The word "publication" has a broader meaning than you might expect in the copyright world. A work is considered to be published under copyright law if you sell, distribute or offer to sell or distribute copies of your software application to the public. When you display it for sale at a trade show, that's also considered to be a publication. If you're unsure, pick a date as close as reasonably possible.

Do not give a date that is in the future. Leave this line blank if the software application is unpublished. Give the nation where the software application was first published. If the software application was first published simultaneously in the United States and another country; you can list the United States.

If this software application has been published as part of a larger work—for example, it's one software application from a collection—enter the title of the larger work. Complete either 2A or 2B but not both. The person who created the work is the "author. A co-author is someone who, at the time the work was created, made a copyrightable contribution.

Complete section 2B only if the software application is made for hire in which case the hiring party is the author. You can leave this blank unless you've transferred software application ownership to a company using a DBA. Give the year the author was born and deceased, if applicable. The year of birth is optional but is very useful as a form of author identification because many authors have the same name.

Your birth date will be made part of the online public Copyright Office records and cannot be removed later. Check the U. Alternatively, identify the nation where the author is domiciled resides permanently.

If you wish to remain anonymous unlikely for most software program developers and your name is given in line 2A, it will be made part of the online public records produced by the Copyright Office and accessible on the Internet. This information cannot be removed later from those public records. Here you check the appropriate box es that describe this author's contribution to this software application.

Use any of the boxes — for example, computer program, music, photography—that apply. If you want to add more, give a brief statement on the line after "other" and be specific. The Copyright Office recommends against using terms such as idea, concept, title, or name. Again, as with Section 2A and 2B, complete one or the other, but not both.

Here we are listing the person or entity that owns the copyright—either the developer who created it, or the person or organization to which the copyright has been transferred by an author or other authorized copyright owner. The claimant postal address will be made part of the online public Copyright records and cannot be removed later.

However, the email address and phone number will not appear in the public record unless it is also included in section 5, Rights and Permissions Contact. Tips: When you launch some software that has toolbox, you might need to enter the right software module before you start to register it.

For example:. Step 1. Please click the "Key" icon , or click the "Menu" icon and choose "Register" button from the drop-down options. Step 2. Then you will be prompted that "Registration is needed for the full version. Step 3. Choosing your company's location is one of the most important decisions you will make. It can involve looking at a variety of things to decide what is best for you:. The decision you make should be one that will meet all the business objectives for your company in the most cost-effective manner without sacrificing quality.

Big cities in the USA can bring more business to your company but there is more competition. Each business is different, so you will need to decide what factors are the most important for your business.

Is it the location? Accessibility to skilled labor? The simple answer is yes. The business structure of an LLC allows anyone to apply regardless of their citizenship status.

Other business structures, such as an S corporation, do not allow non-residents to own a company within the USA. This is done by appointing your own foreign company as the managing member instead of an individual person.

This structure is generally not appropriate for smaller businesses. Register your business name with your state government, if necessary.

Registering a DBA name is typically done through your state government or county clerk's office. This process typically only takes a few minutes to complete. This is typically useful for sole proprietorship, since not using a DBA name means that your business name will automatically default to your personal name. Note that a DBA name is also required if you are starting a corporation. Determine if you need to get a tax identification number for your business.

Become knowledgeable about licensing, taxes and insurance. Once you determine the legal structure for your business, research the requirements of your locality for licensing, paying sales tax and income tax, liability insurance and other requirements. There are also permits and licenses that may be required by your city or county.

The best way to find out if your particular business requires any unique permits is to contact your city, describe your business, and inquire about any requirements. For example, many cities require "Home Occupation Permits", if you plan to operate a business from your home.

Consult an accountant or attorney, if necessary. Raise funds for your software company. Software development requires time and resources.

Make a complete list of the start-up capital you will need to finance your business. Contact venture capital firms that have previously funded software companies to discuss the possibility of entering into an agreement. Do an online search to find companies that have provided early-stage funding for products similar to yours. Note that you will be giving up equity in your company if you accept venture capital funding.

Research grants and loans. Explore the availability of funding from local universities who may be interested in financing start-up companies. Discuss your software product idea with family and friends to explore the possibility of their investment in your business.

Consider online funding sources such as the Lending Club and Kickstarter. Purchase the necessary equipment and applications. Equip your development team with computers, programming applications, data storage capability, servers and all of the necessary tools for creating and distributing the software.

Find office space to rent using a real estate broker who specializes in commercial real estate. You will need to hire a freelancer to design packaging if this is a product that will be offered on a store shelf.

You will also need to hire a company to manufacture the CDs, if applicable. Hire developers. When hiring developers, look for candidates who have the required programming skills and the desire to work in a software start-up environment. Consider offering key employees stock in the company.

Advertise on job boards such as Monster. Be very specific about the skills and number of years of experience you are looking for. In addition to knowing the right programming languages, look for those who have experience working on teams to bring a new product to market.

Check all references carefully. Ask friends and colleagues in similar types of software industries for recommendations. Create a development time line for the product. Allot a reasonable amount of time to the development of your software product.

A complicated data management system may take much longer to develop than a simple mobile phone application. Before creating the time line, get input from your development team and outside experts to make sure the time allotted is appropriate for the type of software you are brining to market. You want to beat any other potential competition, but you do not want to offer a product that is full of bugs because it was rushed. Oversee the development process. Facilitate clear communication between you and your development team to ensure that everyone is operating under the same product vision.

Hold status meetings weekly to make sure progress is being made according to your timeline. Part 3. Test your software product after the development phase. Establish a structured quality control and assurance process. This may involve a small team of developers testing each feature for smooth functioning on various operating systems, or bringing in new testers with fresh eyes to interact with the product.

Write up a complete set of testing procedures and make sure all testers are following it to the letter. If steps are skipped it will not be a valid test.