Effective date of a copyright registration

Definition
The effective date of a copyright registration is "the day on which an application, deposit, and fee, which are later determined by the Register of Copyrights or by a court of competent jurisdiction to be acceptable for registration, have all been received in the Copyright Office.

Overview
"The effective date of registration is the date assigned by the U.S. Copyright Office that corresponds with the date the Office received all the elements required for a registration in acceptable form, namely, (i) a completed application, (ii) the full nonrefundable filing fee, and (iii) a complete nonreturnable deposit."