Correct format for Copyright notices

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Correct format for Copyright notices

gpmgroup

3:46 pm on May 2, 2005 (gmt 0)

sufficient? or is below better?

Stormfx

7:44 pm on May 2, 2005 (gmt 0)

The typical format is:

Format is up to you. But in order to be valid, it has to contain the company/publisher, the word 'Copyright' or the © symbol and the year(s). No specific order.

coconutz

8:37 pm on May 2, 2005 (gmt 0)

But in order to be valid, it has to contain the company/publisher, the word 'Copyright' or the © symbol and the year(s).

A copyright notice has 3 elements:

1. The symbol ©, or the word "Copyright," or the abbreviation "Copr."
2. The year of first publication of the work; and
3. The name of the author.

While use of a copyright notice was once required as a condition of copyright protection, it is now optional.

What is a copyright notice? How do I put a copyright notice on my work? [copyright.gov]

When is my work protected? [copyright.gov]
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

There's a wealth of information available at the US Copyright Office web site.

gpmgroup

8:11 pm on May 5, 2005 (gmt 0)

Thank you :)

Brian

7:30 pm on May 9, 2005 (gmt 0)

Hate to be a pain, but it really doesn't matter how you do it - and, strictly speaking, whether you do it at all. The attachment of "copyright", or symbols or anything does nothing to establish or prove ownership. It used to mean something, but not any more. The only point to remember is, if you want to protect your work, make it clear to others, so that if you do end up in a fight, they can't claim they infringed unwittingly. Ideally, you should also be able to show that you suffered a loss as a result of the infringement. Personally, I include on my site a rental policy, so that people can have what they like at the tariff I set. That tariff is very high. Then, in the very unlikely event of me having to sue, I don't sue on copyright, which is a *** area if law. I sue for the fees for usage of my material. When I see an infringement, I email the link to my copyright page, and tell them that the clock is ticking.

[edited by: eelixduppy at 9:30 pm (utc) on Feb. 18, 2009]

mrowton

12:57 am on May 21, 2005 (gmt 0)

I thought it odd that walmart has no copyright statement on their footer. Of course they are still protected, still seems strange...

linlorra

5:39 pm on Jun 18, 2005 (gmt 0)

Thanks Brian.. If I'm understanding you correctly, you have the "rental policy" provision posted on your site as well as a copyright notice? This seems like a great idea to me. By any chance, are you willing to share the basic wording you use for the "rental policy"?

ramnyc

9:37 pm on Jun 19, 2005 (gmt 0)

I'm just curious if saying your work is protectec by copyright will help you when overseas companies are using it? What recourse do you have if you find something you paid for and had copyright to on another site, word for word. After writing to the webmaster of that site what's next?

stapel

11:23 pm on Jun 19, 2005 (gmt 0)

Theoretically, you have recourse in law: you can sue. Practically, however, this might be impossibly expensive for you, so you may end up just stuck.

On the other hand, many foreign sites are hosted in the US, so you can contact the host directly and have the site removed under their copyright policy. And if the copying is really obvious (word-for-word the same, identical formatting and colors, etc), posting the URLs (yours and theird) to "pirated-sites.com" couldn't hurt. When the majority of their traffic is people laughing at them, they might see the sense in removing the plagiarism.

Eliz.