This guide is designed to provide basic, general information about copyright, and does not constitute legal advice. The links to websites in this guide are provided for your convenience.
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. ~ U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright Basics
According to the U.S. Copyright Office, the "use of a copyright notice is no longer required by U.S. law, although it is often beneficial." In today's society, displaying the notice on unsupervised equipment may be important to inform the public that these laws exist and that they serve to protect all original works of authorship. Proper placement of the copyright notice may help to prevent instances of infringement. Notices may be affixed to copiers, computers, printers, scanners, and any other devices that are capable of making copies.
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