What is a copyright notice and when should I use it?

A copyright notice is a statement that informs the public that the work they are looking at is protected by copyright law. The copyright notice usually includes the copyright symbol (©), the copyright holder’s name, and the year the work was created. It helps remind people that the work is protected and helps to deter infringement. In Minnesota, copyright law requires the author of any work to add a copyright notice to the original work in order to receive the full protection of the law. For example, a novel must have the copyright notice clearly displayed on the cover or at the beginning of the book. If the author does not include a copyright notice, the work may still be protected by copyright law, but the author may need to prove that the work is theirs in order to enforce the rights to the work. Regardless of the law, it is generally a good idea to include a copyright notice with any work you publish or post online. Doing so will help protect the work and make it easier for you to prove you are the original author if someone else tries to use it without your permission.

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What is a copyright notice and when should I use it?

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