Dec 30 2008
The Copyright Legend
If you’ve read through my posts this far, you know that copyright law is quite real, and not a legend. But there is a legend, a legal legend, associated with copyright. A legal legend is the part of a document that shows where, when, and by what authority the document is being used. Using the copyright legend is the best way to protect your work. As long you have placed the copyright legend on your work, federal law protects your work.
Place the legend at the end of the work. Follow the format exactly.
In the United States, any of these legends can be used.
| Format | Sample |
| Copyright 2008 First Name Last Name | Copyright 2008 Anne Wallingford |
| Copr. 2008 First Name Last Name | Copr. 2008 Anne Wallingford |
| © 2008 First Name Last Name | © 2008 Anne Wallingford |
But to comply with Universal Copyright Convention, which protects your work in all countries that have agreed to the Convention, you must include the © symbol.
| Format | Sample |
| ©2008 First Name Last Name | © 2008 Anne Wallingford |
Some countries, especially those in Latin America, also require the phrase “All Rights Reserved.” Therefore, the best overall legend to use is:
| Format | Sample |
| ©2008 First Name Last Name. All rights reserved. | © 2008 Anne Wallingford. All rights reserved. |
© 2008 Anne Wallingford
Great to know, but is my work protected by copyright if I do not use the copyright legend?
Good question! Thanks for asking. The answer is both yes and no. I’ll address this in my next post.
Anne
Posting this on behalf of Harv M.:
The examples are very helpful. I didn’t know the reason for the use of the circle-C symbol. Questions:
1. If I copyright in 2007, does that apply from 2007 onward? I’ve seen forms like “Copyright 2003-2007 …”.
Thanks!
Jan 1, 3:14 PM — [ ]
Anything copyrighted in 2007 is protected by copyright for the standard time period of copyright. I’d have to doublecheck to be certain–the rules change frequently these days–but I believe the time period is now the author’s life plus 75 years.
It’s unusual to see copyright written as Copyright 1999 - 2007 but quite possible to see Copyright 1999, 2007. Everytime a new edition of a book is published, and the ISBN remains the same, the copyright legend is updated. The years are separated by a comma. An older edition will only have the first year.