Short as it is, there are three key components to a copyright statement:
- The ©?symbol or word copyright.
- The name of the copyright holder (often the author).
- The year it was first copyrighted.
Do not update the copyright date on your website each year.
Typically such a statement is found on a page preceding the index (in the “frontmatter”) with other details like the
- library cataloguing information,
- ISBN, ISSN, or DOI,
- publisher’s contact info,
- disclaimers (e.g., this is a work of fiction…),
- restriction statements like “all rights reserved”,
- statements of permission, acknowledgments, and other credits,
- library cataloguing information, and
- an impression count (maybe).
For a website, please add dates to each post, and keep the page footer showing the date of first copyright or a range. Never just update the copyright statement to the current year.
Works are copyrighted upon their recording in a fixed form (print or digital!). There is no need to include a copyright statement or register it anywhere. This is true for the 181 countries that were part of the Berne Convention (the leading copyright treaty).
However, future editors and researchers looking for the date of creation for inclusion in citations will be eternally grateful. Plus, you’ll contribute to an accurate historical record! Be sure to include a copyright statement on your works, even if you’re using a copyright alternative!
See the Copyright page template from the Government of Canada and Copyrightlaws.com for more guidance.
