Your website copyright notice is an easy and free way to deter content infringements. Even though it isn’t required, adding copyright to your website can support your claim if you have to enforce your rights in court. According to Nolo.com, the form of copyright notices should be as follows:

“There are relatively strict technical requirements as to what a copyright notice must contain if it is to serve its purpose of preventing people from claiming in court that they were “innocent-infringers.” A valid copyright notice contains three elements:

• the copyright symbol ©, or the words “Copyright” or “Copr.”
• if the website is published, the year of publication, and
• the name of the copyright owner.”

 

Generally, a website is published when initially launched, so your copyright should reflect the original date. However, the information on websites changes frequently, sometimes daily. If you are adding a considerable amount of content, you should consider establishing added copyright dates. You can display additional content updates as a series of dates (© 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017).

Placing your copyright on your homepage is sufficient to cover all the information and images on your site. Typically, a copyright notice lives in your site’s footer, making it visible on every page. Footer placement ensures that wherever a user lands on your site, the copyright is present.

When freshening your site content for 2021, don’t forget to extend your copyright notice. 😉 If you need help with web updates, your friendly designers at Woodchuck Arts are ready to assist. Just send us an email through the link below to set-up a discussion!