Forum Moderators: not2easy
My understanding is that the definitive format for the visible page is (for example):
(C) Copyright 2002 COMPANYNAME
Should I include "All Rights Reserved"
Additionally, I plan to add the copyright information to the meta data as follows (for example):
<META NAME="copyright" content="2002 COMPANYNAME">
Finally, is is necessary for the copyright notice to appear on every page?
I've used the following formats:
© 2000-02 Company Name, Inc.
All Original Content © 2000-02 Company Name, Inc.
Site Contents/Photography © 2001 Company Name, Inc.
All Original Content © 2000-02 Company Name, Inc., All Rights Reserved
In some cases, the site will include product photos or product manuals/manufacturer's literature that we clearly cannot claim copyright over, which is when I start specifying "All Original Content" or what have you.
© Copyright 2002 Company Name. All rights reserved.
All trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners.
I wonder if there is one correct format for this. I make this part of a footer include on all pages.
I've been advised that the answer is no - just as a book doesn't place the notice on every page, neither does a domain name need to.
That said, I like placing it on every page in the footer. I put contact information there as well (address and phone) so that info is easily available.
Also, there is no reason for writing (C) when you can use the symbol ©. In case you needed it, you can insert the symbol from your favorite text editor, or hold Alt while pressing 0-1-6-9 in order on the Number pad. When typing HTML code you can also use \& copy;(without the space, of course).
As for "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED". It doesn't hurt anything, though it is no longer legally required (as it once was in some countries). Remember the whole point of the notice is to provide an explicit warning. The copyright exists even if there is no copyright notice. "All rights reserved" does not strengthen the copyright itself, but it may serve as a stronger warning to some.
Similarly, it's not strictly necessary to include the notice on every page (anymore than it is legally necessary to include it at all to have the copyright), but it can't hurt. Just make sure it's appropriate, i.e., beware of including a copyright notice next to material the company does not hold the copyright to, such as material in the public domain. (Notices should include appropriate acknowledgment of the copyrights of others whose material is used/displayed on the page.)
Another thing worth checking. Make sure the company name is the correct one and in the correct form! That may sound silly, but with the complex legal and ownership arrangements among companies, the legal name of the entity holding the copyright isn't necessarily something you can assume.
One final point about copyright. Including a notice is a practical help in protecting one's copyright, since it makes the point clear to readers who may incorrectly assume material without the notice is not under copyright, or otherwise misunderstand copyright. And it's simple enough to do. But it's not the best method to obtain strong legal protection of the copyright(ability to prove it is your copyrighted material or to collect damages). The route provided for this sort of protection, at least in the US, is the registration of the copyright. (Provisions vary in different countries; in the US the mechanism is registration with the Library of Congress... yes, that means forms!)
Same here... Cram all that "Look, we are a legitimate real-world company" looking stuff at the bottom of every page for good measure.
Q. Are there any requirements to receive protection under the federal law?
A. Yes. the work must be original and fixed. The work doesn't have to be one of a kind, for example, if you write a book about Bass fishing techniques it is original without being unique. There will be other books on Bass fishing techniques sitting beside it on bookshelves. Fixed means that the work must not be transitory but recorded in a medium that allows for reproduction- typed, written, recorded, etc.
Q. If it doesn't have a copyright mark is it protected by copyright?
A. More than likely YES. If the work was created after March 1st, 1989 any copyright mark or notice is OPTIONAL. Copyright marks take the following forms:
© followed by a date and name
"Copyright" followed by a date and name
"Copr" followed by a date and name.
DG
In a book, that is written entirely by one person, you only need one copyright notice. The same would go with a web site, but only if EVERY word and piece of art work is yours.
In a magazine, that uses articles and photographs submitted by freelance writers or photographers, a copyright notice is usually placed at the end of each freelance article, to protect the rights of the person submitting the content. And if you really want to do it right, once a month or year, depending on how much new information you have, you can send a collection of all the material you want copyright protection on, to the copyright office.
The technique I use on our web sites is to place the copyright notice only on the pages that need it, and then I specify what part of the page is copyrighted, such as the background, photographs, or the text of a story.
Just my 2 cents worth
FTW
