Free Copyright Notice

It is possible to have copyright protection in an original compilation of preexisting material. This type of work is called a "collective work". The new copyright protection extends to the original part of the compilation, such as editing remarks and the arrangement of material. Copyright notice for such works generally is sufficient if it refers to the owner and the publication date of the compilation. However, you may wish to provide the public with additional information regarding the owners of the preexisting copyrighted material. If any of the preexisting material was first published before March 1, 1989, you should include a separate notice of copyright, with the older date, for these materials.

See Year of Publication for more information.

A copyright notice tells the world that you claim protection under United States copyright laws for something that you have created. Later, if you sue someone for copying your work without your permission, this notice prevents them from arguing that what they did was an innocent mistake. The fact that you provided a copyright notice carries other advantages that may be important if your copyright becomes the subject of a lawsuit. For example, certain types of damages (monetary awards) are only available if you provided a copyright notice. These advantages are valuable, and the copyright notice is simple to create. Therefore, it is wise to create a notice and attach it to your work.

Under older United States laws, copyright notice was required before an author could claim protection of a work that was distributed to the public. However, the United States has changed its laws in an effort to become more uniform with international practices. Because the United States is a tremendous source of copyrightable material and a great exporter of movies, music, software, books, and other works that can be copyrighted, Congress believed that it was in the United States' best interest to conform to international copyright standards. Therefore, copyright notice is not required, and your original work receives copyright protection the instant that you express your original idea in some sort of medium (writing on paper, saving to an electronic storage device, or molding your lump of clay). However, because certain advantages only exist when you provide a notice, it is still wise to include a copyright notice.

The copyright laws protect that part of an author's work that is original. This means the part that reflects the creative effort of the author. For example, If you were to paint a picture of a room with the Mona Lisa hanging upside-down from the light socket, you would not have copyright protection in the Mona Lisa. Other people could still create their own rendition of the Mona Lisa without violating your rights. However, you could have copyright protection in the part of your painting that you created. This could include specific details in your painting as well as the broadly conceived arrangement of the room with the upside down Mona Lisa hanging from a light socket. If this explanation is unsatisfying, do not despair. Copyright law contains many tests and standards that are broadly defined and that do not provide authors with easy-to-follow, "bright-line" rules. However, if your work contains, in whole or in part, original material or an original arrangement of material, you may be entitled to copyright protection.

The United States Constitution provides for the creation of laws to give "authors" exclusive rights in the use of their own "writings" for a limited time. The terms "authors" and "writings" have very broad meanings. This program uses the term "work" to convey the idea that copyright protection is not limited to the written word. Therefore, the term "author" includes not only people who write stories, poems, and books, but also sculptors, computer programmers, composers, architects, painters, and the producers of motion pictures and sound recordings. This list merely provides a few examples. The important thing to remember is that there are very few limitations on who may be an "author" and what may be a "writing". If you have any question regarding these broadly defined terms, you should contact an attorney who specializes in copyright law or intellectual property.

Copyright law grants people exclusive rights in their creations. By granting exclusive rights, the copyright system creates an incentive to create. Exclusive rights limit others from copying your work and competing with you in the sale of copies of your work. In theory, this lack of competition leads to a higher market price for your work. This is like having a tax on your work that the consuming public must pay to support your copyright.

Works created by employees of the federal government, or on behalf of the federal government, are not entitled to copyright protection. The people expending creative efforts in these settings are already rewarded by the public in the form of a payment from the government. Because the public pays this reward, a copyright in this setting would be like charging the public twice. Because "government works" already belong to the public, you should indicate that you claim no right in a government work you have reproduced.

The author's rights exist when the work is created. However, authors commonly sell their copyrights to publishing houses before the work is distributed to the public. Authors may also sell their copyrights after publication. In addition, copyright law may give copyright ownership to the person or company who pays someone else to create a work. If someone paid for the creation of the work, that person may automatically be considered the author and owner. If this situation applies, contact an attorney to determine your rights.

1. A signature is not required on your copyright notice.

2. Keep a copy of the notice for your records.

3. Affix the copyright notice to a visible portion of your work.

If your work is a recording of sound, like an audio tape or a digital recording, the copyright notice appears as (p) rather than as �. The phrase "sound recording" is a technical term in copyright law. If your work is an audiovisual work, like a motion picture, it may be a recording of sound, but it is not a "sound recording." Do not indicate that your work is a sound recording if it really is an audiovisual work.

A title is not required in order to enjoy copyright protection. The U.S. Copyright Office requires a title for registration of your work. However, under current U.S. copyright law, your rights exist whether or not you register your work. Therefore, if you do not register, copyright law does not require a title. To sue someone for violating your copyright, you have to register before you can go to court. Whether you register early or immediately before bringing a lawsuit, the U.S. Copyright Office will require you to provide a title. This helps in the indexing and identification of your work. Therefore, if you do not yet have a title, relax! You may proceed with the completion of your copyright notice and think up a title later (if needed).

See for information regarding what works copyright law may protect.