Copyright Notice

For further information about Copyright Investigation , read:

• Copyright Investigation
• Copyright Formalities
• Copyright and Public Domain
• Date in the Copyright Notice
• Duration of Copyright Protection in the U.S.
• Derivative Works and Copyright
• Name in the Copyright Notice
• Ad Interim copyright

In the United States, the 1909 Copyright Act and the 1976 Copyright Act as originally enacted required a notice of copyright on published works. For most works, a copyright notice consisted of the symbol ©, the word “Copyright” or the abbreviation “Copr.,”
together with the name of the owner of copyright and the year of first publication.

For sound recordings published on or after February 15, 1972, a copyright notice might read “? 1995 ABC Records, Inc.”

For mask works, a copyright notice might read “? ABC Corporation.”

As originally enacted, the 1976 U.S. copyright law prescribed that all visually perceptible published copies of a work, or published phonorecords of a sound recording, should bear a proper copyright notice. This applies to such works published before March 1, 1989. After March 1, 1989, notice of copyright on these works is optional. Adding the notice, however, is strongly encouraged and, if litigation involving the copyright occurs, certain advantages exist for publishing a work with notice.

Prior to March 1, 1989, the requirement for the notice applied equally whether the work was published in the United States or elsewhere by authority of the copyright owner.

Compliance with the statutory notice requirements was the responsibility of the copyright owner. Unauthorized publication without the copyright notice, or with a defective notice,
does not affect the validity of the copyright in the work.

Advance permission from, or registration with, the Copyright Office is not required before placing a copyright notice on copies of the work or on phonorecords of a sound recording.

Moreover, for works first published on or after January 1, 1978, through February 28, 1989, omission of the required notice, or use of a defective notice, did not result in forfeiture or outright loss of copyright protection. Certain omissions of, or defects in, the notice of copyright, however, could have led to loss of copyright protection if steps were not taken
to correct or cure the omissions or defects. The Copyright Office has issued a regulation (37 CFR 201.20) that suggests various acceptable positions for the notice of copyright.

Author: admin

Author: admin

Mentioned in these Entries

Absence of Copyright Notice, Ad Interim copyright, Copyright Formalities, Copyright Investigation, Copyright and Public Domain, Derivative Works and Copyright, Duration of Copyright Protection in the U.S., Name in the Copyright Notice, Publishing before 1978: U.S. Copyright Notice.