What Do The Copyrights At Bottoms Of Pages Mean?

[clonetrooper9494]

I have a small site, and I am wondering, do I need a thing at the bottom of every page saying "© 2009 Mysite Inc."?What do these mean?How do I get one?~clonetrooper9494

[Synook]

If you don't want people to steal your designs and content, then a copyright notice is useful as a deterrent (and protection if you are willing to follow up). They mean that (based on the details of the actual notice) the content, designs or images etc. are owned by the copyright owner and cannot be used without permission. Copyright (unlike e.g. trademarks) does not need to be registered, you just need to be able to prove that you have sole possession over the content and are the rightful owner.

[clonetrooper9494]

So, at the bottom of every page, I could say "© 2009 by Ben Dover" (or w/e my name is) and I could protect my site?

[Ingolme]

It won't protect your site, it will just let people know that they are not legally allowed to use your content anywhere else without your permission.The content is only yours if you created it though. If you use other peoples' images on your site or copy written articles from somewhere else you can't claim copyright over it.

[jeffman]

It's like having a Beware of Dog sign posted in front of your dog. It says you're serious, even if you aren't. The instant you publish, copyright laws already protect you (the dog). Posting your copyright notice suggests that you might actually use your protection to sue someone if they try to rip you off.

[clonetrooper9494]

Thanks Deirdre's Dad and Ingolme, that gives me a better understanding of it.