Works of art, music, videos, painting, and literature are prone to all forms of issues. These include unnecessary infringements, theft, violations, and unauthorized access. They definitely have to be protected from these potential threats. Copyrights exist to play that role. Our discussions here endeavor to look into them keenly.
Copyrights are protections that are advanced to various works of art. They seek to shield the owners of those works from all manner of dangers and issues that may arise with the access and use of their products. Other than that, they also entitle the creators to exclusive profits and ownership.
A typical copyright notice comprises the four elements below:
- The Copyright Symbol. This is the symbol that signifies or showcases the copyright. It is available in the © or the ℗. The former stands for ‘copyright’ whereas the latter stands for the phonorecord respectively. When these two symbols are beheld, they give a straight indication of the existence of that protection.
- The Year of Creation. It is the year when the said work was created. This year follows either of the two symbols we have delineated. Many copyrights have time limits, effective from the dates when the associated works were created. Thus, this metric stipulates when the time limit has to be counted.
- The Name of the Author. Also coming along is the name of the author of the said piece of work. It is this author whom the work is ascribed, and the copyright assigned to protect. The names have to be official for the avoidance of doubt. It has to come immediately after the symbol and the name of the artwork.
- A Rights Statement. A rights statement rounds up the list of the ‘must-have’ elements. The statement basically spells out the terms of the copyright. These include such issues as the scope or the extent to which the notice is applicable. Also, of note is the penalties for any violations if and when they happen.
Sample Copyright Notice
(1) Ownership of Copyright
Our licensors and we own every content on this material and the associated productions. Every music, image, visual and audio contents including those on our websites belong to us.
(2) Credit
We generated this notice courtesy of the SEQ legal templates.
(3) Copyright Licenses
a.) We extend you the freedom to view every material on our sites and quote any content that does not exceed 1,000 words on condition that you credit the source as emanating from us.
b.) On the same breadth, you are free to print pages, make duplicates, and scatter materials regarding our contents for educational and entertainment use free-of-charge without prior notice from us.
c.) As you do so, do not edit, alter, transform, republish, or distribute the contents save for obtaining express written permission from us.
(4) Data Mining
You may not collect any data from our site without our express permission and authority.
(5) Permissions
To request permission to use any material from our site, reach us at 8000 Great Park Blvd, Irvine California or write us an e-mail at abc@xyz.com.
(6) Enforcement of Copyright
We take seriously any violation of the copyright laws. As such, we do not hesitate to take any legal actions against anyone who breaches the provisions we have stipulated above. If you come across any contents that tend to go against our copyright rules, kindly reach out to us via the addresses above.
(7) Infringing Material
Likewise, if you come across any material that tends to infringe on our privacy or copyright laws, draw the same to our attention principally by writing to us via the address we have displayed above.
Copyright Notices Samples and Examples
Given the complicated nature of the copyright notices, you cannot afford to go solo. You desperately need some guidance and support in the form of templates. Here are some examples both in Word and the PDF to give you the idea of how to draft one for yourself.
Basic Employment Copyright Trademark Notice
Copyright Notice Sample # 2
Copyright Disclaimer Notice Sample
Copyright Notice Format
Copyright Notice Statement
Movie Copyright Notice
Generic Copyright Notice
Law of Copyright Notice
Music Copyright Notice
Copyright Infringement Notice Letter
Photography Copyright Notice
Copyright Notice Sample # 3
Sample Copyright Notice # 4
Software Copyright Notice
Standard Copyright Notice
Website Copyright Notice
How to Write a Copyright Notice
Knowing how to write the notice in and of itself is also as significant as getting the benefits that come along ordinarily. We examine the steps and stages involved in doing this, here below:
- Find out whether your work qualifies for copyright protection. Kick start the exercise by finding out whether your work is eligible for copyright protection or not. Unfortunately, not every piece of art may be eligible for this. Some have restrictions with regard to the scope or extent. Be sure to read the fine print to know-how.
- Determine the extent or the scope of the copyright. Next, you have to determine the extent or the scope of the copyright that is applicable to your case. This is to give you a rough clue of just how much you might expect or invest in the protection. To do this, you may have to check up with the various laws and decrees of your jurisdictions.
- Come up with the necessary symbols. You now have to come up with the necessary symbols. We have stated already that there are two main symbols in use here. These are the © or the ℗. Find out the one that suits your work of art. Closely related to this is the form in which the copyright is to be issued. Some may require sounds and music in the intro and outro.
- Register the copyright symbol. Having identified the exact symbol, you should now go ahead and register the same with the relevant offices. Approach the relevant state office or government agency that is in charge of the registration and follow the due paperwork. This might require that you part with some money or fees.
- Place the symbol on the appropriate work. With every preliminary step fulfilled, conclude the exercise now by placing the symbol on the appropriate work. Use the method or approach that is best prescribed for that work of art. You might require professional assistance in this instance as this is a relatively confusing stage.
Checklist for Copyright Notices
The process of placing the copyright requires certain considerations. Below are some of the issues you have to care for and handle appropriately in the course of doing so:
Eligibility. This refers to what exactly qualifies to be copyrightable and that which does not. Generally speaking, you can copyright your unique expressions of the ideas. These include original works of literature, architectural designs, software developments, websites, music, and tangible creative creations. Each item is unique and requires a similarly unique approach.
When to add the Notice. By far the best time to add a copyright notice is when you officially release the precise work of art. That is to prevent the said work of art from being infringed upon, copied, or claimed by any other entity than you. Needless to say, you have to notify any other relevant authority as soon as possible.
Where to place the Notice. This is perhaps the trickiest part of the entire process. Here, you basically decide where exactly to place the notice. There is no universal or fixed place to do so. It only has to exist at a place that is clearly legible to all. These include:
- Product packaging
- Intros and outros of music and videos
- Labels, emblems, and logos
- Foreword sections of the books
- Banners and other promotional items
Let’s look into some of the frequently asked questions about copyright notice:
Not necessarily. As per the prevailing rules, your work automatically gets protected as soon as it is released. Nonetheless, you may still wish to add this symbol for the avoidance of doubt.
Roughly 70 years after the death of the author. This rule came in effect on January 1st, 1978. Prior to that, the duration would last around 50 years after which the protection is no more.
Not really! Not every work is copyrighted. There are clear rules and guidelines that inform which work to copyright and which one not to. You have to familiarize yourself with these guidelines before setting out.
YES, there are! Not every work of art may be copyrighted. There are a host of local rules that spell out the ones that may be or may not be copyrighted. Then, the protection expires 70 years after the death of the content creator.
‘Fair use’ is the set of guidelines that oversee the use of copyrighted materials for entertainment and academic purposes. Copyright, on the other hand, is the protection that is given to the creators of the materials.
There is no consensus as per just how much of copyright material may be used under ‘fair use.’ It all depends on the discretion of the scholar concerned. Some content creators do impose some limits though. You have to familiarize yourself with them.
Different Types of Copyright Notice
Copyright Notice for Book. It is necessary to safeguard your literature work from all forms of infringements that may arise with use. This requires that you embed a copyright symbol ©. The symbol has to be placed on any original work. These pieces of information must accompany the symbol:
- The word “Copyright,” or the abbreviation, “Copr.”
- When the book was first published (year)
- The name of the copyright holder
Copyright Notice for Podcast. Podcasts, just like books and other forms of literature, have to be protected from all forms of infringements. Unlike the literary pieces, the copyright symbol in this instance is given out in the form of a mix of music and speech. This mix is availed in the intro and outro. These may include:
- Any exceptions to the rule
- Uniquely identifying parameters
- Scope or extent of the copyright
Copyright Notice for Music. Music does not differ markedly from the podcasts we have spoken of above. The only difference is the manner in which the copyright symbol is affixed. In this case, the symbol used is the ℗ where “P” is for “phonorecord.” Other pieces of information furnished are:
- Music title
- Single or composer
- Year of release
- Album
Copyright Notice for Blog. Just like books, blogs to have to be secured for any possible infringements. As is the case with the books, the copyright symbol used is the ©. The symbol is placed on every page of the blog, preferably at the bottom thereof. Similarly, it has to be accompanied by these metrics:
- The blog owner
- Year of publication
- Any exceptions to the blog contents
Copyright Notice for E-book. E-books are not really that diverse or separate from ordinary books. They only differ in the sense that they are available in the intangible digital forms rather than the hard copies. Just as is the norm with the ordinary books, they have to comprise the © symbol. Then, these pieces of information are added:
- The first year of release or publication
- The word ‘copyright’
- Author and the title thereof
- Publishing house
Copyright Notice for Images. Rather than securing an entire publication, you may time want to do so to potions of it. The copyright notice for the image, as its designation implies, handles the images almost exclusively. This form of copyright is used extensively in matters of photography and artworks. Below are some of its contents:
- The precise photograph or image secured
- The copyright symbol © embedded on the image
- Name of the artist or painter
Copyright Notice for Video. Videos differ only slightly from the still images in the sense that they are available in moving form. The copyright signage in this sense is in the form of both mixes of music and speech and the copyright symbol ©. These two are placed at the intro and the outro respectively. To add to these, the symbols include:
- Video title and genre
- The official date of release
- Album
- Executive producer or production house
Copyright Notice for Software. Pieces of software also have to be uniquely identified and set apart from the others. The reason behind this is yet again pretty simple. There is a need to prevent any possible violations and infringements of privacy. In this circumstance, the placement of the symbol is somewhat unique. Here is how it goes:
- The copyright © symbol
- Name and type of software
- License number
- Unique product identification number
Our long and elaborate look into the sample copyright notices come to an end there. We have truly exhausted every bit of information you need to know going forward. Having done our part, we now leave it to you to carry on from where we have left. That can only mean placing a copyright notice on your work.
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