When Do I Need to Use the Copyright Notice?

Once you finally have your copyright registration you want to make sure to get your money’s worth. One way people often put their copyright to use is to slap an official copyright notice everywhere they can. A copyright notice often comes in the form of a little c in a circle – ©. Using this notice isn’t necessary all the time, but it is a good idea.

United States copyright laws grant copyright protection to the creator as soon as the original work is created. Technically you don’t even have to register to get copyright protection, although there are several benefits to official copyright registration.

As Scottsdale copyright attorneys, we encourage copyright holders to use a notice for two reasons:

It lets everyone know that your work is copyrighted and not intended for public use. You would be amazed at how many people think everything on the Internet is automatically in public domain.
In the event of a copyright infringement lawsuit, posting a copyright notice can make it easier to claim the infringer had willful intent to use copyrighted material without consent or license.

Things weren’t always this way. For a long time if you forgot to put a copyright notice on your work, you effectively forfeited your copyright protection and your work would automatically be cast into the public domain. Thankfully, times have changed.

In summation, a copyright notice is a lot like buying your boss a Christmas gift. It’s optional, but it’s still a good idea. If you need the help of an Arizona copyright lawyer, call Parsons & Goltry for a consultation today.

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