Q. What is a notice of copyright?

A notice of copyright might be used by an author, publisher, or distributor to inform a reader of the copyrights reserved on a work. Please note that a copyright notice is not required for a work to be fully protected by copyright law.

Copyright notice as defined by the United States Copyright Office

A copyright notice is an identifier placed on copies of the work to inform the world of copyright ownership. The copyright notice generally consists of the symbol or word “copyright (or copr.),” the name of the copyright owner, and the year of first publication, e.g., ©2008 John Doe. While use of a copyright notice was once required as a condition of copyright protection, it is now optional. Use of the notice is the responsibility of the copyright owner and does not require advance permission from, or registration with, the Copyright Office. See Circular 3, Copyright Notice, for requirements for works published before March 1, 1989, and for more information on the form and position of the copyright notice.