Time to change your copyright dates (Full Version)

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Mojo -> Time to change your copyright dates (1/2/2007 14:02:20)

Just a reminder - It's time to change those statements of - copyright 2006 to 2007.



jaybee -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/2/2007 15:07:09)

Muwahahahah
(to borrow a phrase from our woolly leader).

I have a PHP date routine in my footer that does it automatically. [:D]

<p>Copyright Me 2004-<?php echo date('Y'); ?></p>



Tailslide -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/2/2007 15:13:56)

I seem to remember reading on here that you don't need to change this yearly and that just specifying it initially is all you need to do. I have no idea which approach is correct.



jaybee -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/2/2007 15:19:00)

No you don't have to but copyright runs for a specific period from the date the work was active.

If you put the site up and then never touch it then leaving the date at the original would be correct but if you change it then the copyright runs from the date of that change.

As I change mine fairly regularly I have the year automatically update itself.



Mojo -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/2/2007 15:36:33)

Hmmm.... I never automated my dates. I have them in SSI files so there is just a single file to change for each site, but it would be much better to do it your way.

Thanks for the tip.



BobbyDouglas -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/2/2007 18:08:04)

I just started to automate the dates now. For sites that say "in business for XX years" I have something like this setup: 

in business for <?php echo (date("Y") - 1929); ?> years


Also, I have heard that in the US, everything is automatically protected, without putting the copyright note on the page. Anyone else hear that?



jaybee -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/2/2007 18:23:03)

It is in the UK as well but it's best to have it on there if you can so there's no possible confusion



caz -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/2/2007 18:53:23)

The format I use is the date of publication followed by a "-" eg. XXXXXXXX©2005-

This means that the site and contents are protected from 2005 to date or, 2005 onwards. Should there be a new edition then the date of publication will of course change but additions only to the existing site don't require new dates. Copyright in the UK is automatic on publication, but that is not the case in all countries.



Mojo -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/2/2007 18:59:02)

In the U.S. -

I think the date helps avoid confusion like jaybee said - Also, testing has shown that it can slightly increase conversion rates. It may help web businesses appear larger than what they may be.

If you ever want to get serious about collect money for copyright violation I believe you need a registered copyright.

http://www.legalzoom.com/law_library/copyrights/registration.html



womble -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/2/2007 18:59:23)

quote:

The format I use is the date of publication followed by a "-" eg. XXXXXXXX©2005-

That's what I do...but then I started using the neat little PHP to add the current year so that at 0.01 on 1st January I can go "Yay! I changed all my copyright notices...now what shall I do now...?" [:D] [sm=boogie.gif] (I'm easily amused [;)])



treetopsranch -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 0:38:38)

For the php auto date version to work, don't you have to rename your pages with the extension of .php?

Here's a JS version that works with htm pages:

© 2000-<script language = 'JavaScript'>
<!--
function y2k(number) { return (number < 1000) ? number + 1900 : number; }
var today = new Date();
var year = y2k(today.getYear());
document.write(+year+' all rights reserved.');
//-->
</script>




jaybee -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 4:27:43)

quote:

For the php auto date version to work, don't you have to rename your pages with the extension of .php?
No, I have my server set up using .htaccess to parse all pages as php no matter what they're called. I routinely use php includes



Donkey -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 7:40:39)

It really is not necessary to change the year.

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#fnv

quote:


Form of Notice for Visually Perceptible Copies

The notice for visually perceptible copies should contain all the following three elements:

1. The symbol © (the letter C in a circle), or the word “Copyright,” or the abbreviation “Copr.”; and

2. The year of first publication of the work. In the case of compilations or derivative works incorporating previously published material, the year date of first publication of the compilation or derivative work is sufficient. The year date may be omitted where a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work, with accompanying textual matter, if any, is reproduced in or on greeting cards, postcards, stationery, jewelry, dolls, toys, or any useful article; and

3. The name of the owner of copyright in the work, or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of the owner.

Example: © 2006 John Doe

The “C in a circle” notice is used only on “visually perceptible copies.”


When you think about it logically, if using a "from-to" statement is necessary you should update it every day - which would be ridiculous. I think you are all following "Conventional Wisdom" which in this case is wrong. So just amend your statement to use the date the site was first published and forget all this unnecessary hassle every year. You also don't need to say "all rights reserved" it has no legal meaning and won't give you any additional protection.




jaybee -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 9:06:32)

quote:

you should update it every day
The way I do it means it updates every time the page is loaded, so it's even more current. [:D]

There are a number of reasons I do it that way.

1. So that in 75 years time if someone wants to steal my site they can't because the date is still current. [;)]

2. On the advice of a solicitor specialising in copyright who said that format covers copyright law in countries other than the UK.

3. Because it shows I've been in business for more than 5 minutes

4. Because I can

5. Because I want to, so there. [sm=tongue.gif]




Donkey -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 9:47:32)

That's all fine, but you only need to claim copyright from the date the original site was published.

The "to" date does nothing.

In fact the statement on your website is just a claim and if your copyright was ever challenged you would need to prove copyright by other means.

(I'm not a lawyer but a few years ago I did a course in intellectual property rights and I have kept up to date on the subject)



jaybee -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 10:04:02)

quote:

The "to" date does nothing.
Yes it does, see point 3.



Larry M. -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 10:16:21)

quote:

4. Because I can. 5. Because I want to, so there


Jaybee,

Succinctly sums-up my own business philosophy which, btw, has worked-out just fine in 25 years of self-employment, thank you very much.

Atta Girl [&:]



Donkey -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 10:36:40)

quote:

quote:

The "to" date does nothing.

Yes it does, see point 3.
No - the "from" date does that all by it's self.

Jaybee, I am sure that as Larry says you will run your business however you want to, but should you be encouraging others to do something which will give them no real benefit because the "to" date is not necessary?



jaybee -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 10:46:16)

quote:

should you be encouraging others to do something which will give them no real benefit

quote:

2. On the advice of a solicitor specialising in copyright who said that format covers copyright law in countries other than the UK.


So I tell the copyright lawyer what?



womble -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 10:51:30)

I'm sure that legally you're right Donkey, but the other way I look at it with updating the copyright date is that it shows that you've visited your own site and at least updated something recently...even if it is only the copyright date and you haven't actually visited it and done anything if you use either the PHP or JS method [:D] Kind of gives people the impression that the content's current rather than them seeing a copyright date of 1995 and thinking, "Hmmmm, I wonder if it's been updated since then...?"

Having said that, I tend to use a PHP 'this page was last updated...' on some sites as well.

Btw, there is also a way to do the automatic updating using Frontpage and ASP as well...

Frontpage:

Unfortunately FrontPage doesn't have a built in 'display the current year' function, but you can get round that and display the year your content was last updated by tweaking its 'date and time' function.

- From the Insert menu, select Date and Time...and the Date and Time dialog box appears.
- Select Date this page was last edited.
- From the Date format pull–down list select a date format – any one will do.
- Click OK.
- If you're not there already, go into either Split or Code view and find the 'webbot' code that FrontPage has inserted. It'll look something like: <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" S-Type="EDITED" S-Format="%B %d, %Y" --> (depending on which date format you picked)
- Edit the webbot code so it looks like this: <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" S-Type="EDITED" S-Format="%Y" -->

ASP:
Same as with PHP you can do it in ASP by just pasting the code in where you want the date to appear:
<% Response.Write DatePart("ww", Date()) %>



Mojo -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 10:55:36)

A quick sample of some major sites shows most use Copyright [current year] as the most popular format

Wall Street Journal - Copyright 2007
Google - Copyright 2007
New York Times - Copyright 2007
LegalZoom.com - Copyright 2006 (they haven't changed the date yet)
Yahoo.com Copyright 2007


Jaybee has a good point about how long it shows you have been in business. Trust is huge for online sales and that little reminder that your site has been around from 2000 to 2007 could be much better than a simple copyright 2000 - which could appear that you haven't updated your site in seven years.



Donkey -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 11:37:13)

I just use the following format in the footer of each page, using a cgi script to automatically update the "revised" date.

quote:

Copyright © 2004 Euroflex Products Limited. Revised: July 09, 2005


That way I claim copyright for each page individually from the year that page was created.

I Note from the copyright website that I don't need the word "copyright" just the "©" so as and when I change pages I will remove it.



Larry M. -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 11:47:55)

quote:

Trust is huge for online sales and that little reminder that your site has been around from 2000 to 2007 could be much better than a simple copyright 2000 - which could appear that you haven't updated your site in seven years


Bingo! I'm sales/marketing oriented and am convinced that this and similar subliminal messages intangibly accrue to the advantage of savvy entrepreneurs everywhere.



caz -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 13:34:06)

I think that you are in danger of confusing two issues here -

1. copyright - the date the work was first published and,
2. currency - how up to date is this work?

These are the most important questions that readers want answered and the copyright statement answers the first of these, the second is answered by revision dates and date last updated. So to be safe we use both.

The fact that both together indicate how long a person has been in business is just that - an indication, nothing more. Better records of trading can be found elsewhere.



rubyaim -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 17:46:32)

quote:

ASP:
Same as with PHP you can do it in ASP by just pasting the code in where you want the date to appear:
<% Response.Write DatePart("ww", Date()) %>


That will return the week of the year. For the actual year (eg 2007):

<% Response.Write DatePart("yyyy", Date()) %>

FWIW I've been using this format for the copyright:
© 1997 - 2007

I like the way Donkey has the copyright and the revised date together - I've been keeping them separate but may change the way it is presented. Not that it really matters on an Intranet unless ex-employees appropriate some of the info before departing, and if that happens we probably have bigger problems than copyright to worry about.




jaybee -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 17:58:21)

The revised date is no good for me at all. I forget to add pages to the site map let alone change the date on a page.



rubyaim -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 18:10:16)

quote:

I forget to add pages to the site map let alone change the date on a page.

I generally do the revised date, mainly because it's important for the manuals and 'how to's' that people print from the web, but am hopeless about remembering the site map. I have half a map built with asp but keep forgetting to finish it off.

That should be another New Year resolution, do something about site maps - maybe that is a resolution I can actually keep [:D]



jaybee -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 18:15:38)

I've done a PHP auto generate site map. It's running on one of my sites but it's not fully accessible yet so I need to put some more work in.



womble -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/3/2007 18:38:23)


quote:

ORIGINAL: rubyaim

That will return the week of the year. For the actual year (eg 2007):

<% Response.Write DatePart("yyyy", Date()) %>




Oooops! That's what happens when you're not concentrating! [:D]

quote:

let alone change the date on a page.


Jaybee - I use this on my pages - memory like a seive, so I don't have to remember to update it myself - all I have to do is to remember to actually update the page. [:D] 

<?php $last_modified = filemtime("index.php");
		print("Last Modified ");
		print(date("j/m/y", $last_modified));
		?>



Donkey -> RE: Time to change your copyright dates (1/4/2007 6:08:57)

I don't have to remember either, I use 
Copyright © 2004 Euroflex Products Limited.  Last modified
<!--#config timefmt="%d-%b-%Y" --><!--#flastmod file="index.shtml" -->


In future I will use 
© 2004 Euroflex Products Limited.  Last modified
<!--#config timefmt="%d-%b-%Y" --><!--#flastmod file="index.shtml" -->



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