OT: Copyright date

[Hector Pascal]

Hi all,

In the setup wizard, when I first composed my score, I put © 2015. Fast forward 3 years, today, I updated my score, same notes just improved notation here and there and better margins. Should I keep the © 2015, or should I put © 2015, © 2018.

My thought is to keep © 2015 and then in the preliminary pages to the score put Edition: March 2018, so as to differentiate it from my archived original version.

What do you think?

Cheers,
Hector.

[RMK]

It depends upon the copyright laws of which country you are in. It may make a difference in the US, but probably not in Canada or the EU.

In my opinion you are essentially just as protected if you keep the original copyright date and specify the date of revisions, but if you are really concerned you should consult an IP (Intellectual Properties) lawyer.

[motet]

I put the original year. I only amend that with a second date if there is a major improvement, such as an arrangement for different instruments; certainly not for cosmetic things like notation and margins. As RMK says, it doesn't really doesn't matter anyway, since the end of the copyright period is based on the date of the author's death, not the date of creation.

I've noticed some software makers change it every year, or even omit the year, but that's because people want their software new and shiny. I would say whatever you want to do will protect you legally. Technically, you're supposed to have a year, the word "copyright," and the copyright symbol in the copyright statement. I would also include the words "all rights reserved."

[motet]

I should add that I am not a lawyer! But what I say about the copyright period is true of the U.S., Canada, and countries which recognize Berne convention (q.v.), which would include the E.U. and most other countries.

[michelp]

The earlier the protection year, the better. 2015.