Notice of Copyright

Notice of Copyright
The required use of a copyright notice (1976 Copyright Act) was eliminated when the United
States adhered to the Berne Convention, effective March 1, 1989. Because prior law did contain
such a requirement, however, the use of notice is still relevant to the copyright status of older
works.
Use of the notice may be important because it informs the public that the work is protected by
copyright, identifies the copyright owner, and shows the year of first publication. The use of the
copyright notice is the responsibility of the copyright owner and does not require advance
permission from, or registration with, the Copyright Office.
Form of Notice for Visually Perceptible Copies: The notice for visually perceptible copies
should contain all the following three elements:
1. The symbol © (the letter C in a circle), or the word “Copyright,” or the
abbreviation “Copr.”; and
2. The year of first publication of the work.
3. The name of the owner of copyright in the work, or an abbreviation by
which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative
designation of the owner.
Example: © 2006 John Doe
The “C in a circle” notice is used only on “visually perceptible copies.” Certain kinds of works—
for example, musical, dramatic, and literary works—may be fixed not in “copies” but by means
of sound in an audio recording. Since audio recordings such as audio tapes and phonograph disks
are “phonorecords” and not “copies,” the “C in a circle” notice is not used to indicate protection
of the underlying musical, dramatic, or literary work that is recorded.