Re: Copyright notices, multi-year

["nosnivel -at- netvision -dot- net -dot- il" <nosnivel -at- netvision -dot- net -dot- il>]

Prashanth writes:
> When is a range of years mentioned in the copyright? Such as,
> Copyright 2003-2006.

Some companies put a range of years on their books, 
because their books are revised every year and the
company (a) wants the copyright to indicate that 
some of the material is years and years old, because 
an old copyright date establishes, both for legal
purposes and for marketing purposes, that you're 
the originator from way back and anyone who wrote 
the same stuff later was copying you; and 
(b) wants the copyright to indicate that the material 
is not all old, but rather includes writing that 
reflects the very latest developments as the 
company continues to make valuable progress.

Other companies, however, are satisfied to include
the latest date only.  I suppose that if they ever
need to confront a violator on the basis of older
material, they'll base their argument on an older
edition.  The fact that they don't repeat the 
earlier copyright date doesn't render the older
copyright invalid.  In fact, as I believe has been
noted on this list, these days the existence of
copyright does not depend on the existence of a
notice of any kind.

So there are at least two kinds of companies.  
But neither comes to me for legal advice.  
I am not a lawyer.  If you have a legal decision 
to make, don't depend on me.

------------------------------------------------
  Mark L. Levinson - nosnivel -at- netvision -dot- net -dot- il
------------------------------------------------
Mark discourses to fellow Israeli techwriters in
The Why of Style, at http://www.elephant.org.il/
------------------------------------------------

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