What are the requirements for “notices of copyright” in advertising?

In Washington, any advertisement for a product or service that contains copyrighted material must include a “notice of copyright” that states that a particular work is under copyright protection. The notice must be visible, readable, and clearly associated with the copyright work. Additionally, it must include either the word “Copyright” or the copyright symbol “©,” year of publication, and the name of the copyright holder. For example, if an advertisement for a t-shirt contains a design for which someone else holds the copyright, the notice must include a copyright symbol, the year the design was copyrighted, and the name of the person who holds the copyright. So, if John Doe copyrighted the design in 2021, the notice must read “© 2021 John Doe.” Any company that fails to include a “notice of copyright” in an advertisement that includes a copyrighted work may be in violation of Washington state advertising laws.

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What are the requirements for “notices of copyright” in advertising?

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