All reviews copyright ©1998-2001 Jane Schmoe

So my question, what's the point of the multi-year copyright? Not all sites or works have this, so what's it do that ©2001 doesn't? Is it for serials only? Obviously I wouldn't put it on a work I did three years ago.

Another quesion, if I don't get a piece actually copyrighted by the LOC, and I wrote it say three years ago, if I fish it around now can I still put ©2001 on it? Or should I put ©1998, or nothing at all?

Yes, yes, we all know you own the copyright as soon as it's written, I'm talking solely about the symbol on the page. When should you use it, and how?

JP

In the case of a story in a zine---I think it is to protect the author by saying I wrote this in 1998 so don't even think of saying I took it from you because you have a copy that I published then. That didn't make a lot of sense did it? If I published an article in 1998 and then again in 2001 and I just put the little c as copyright 2001 than someone might remember the other one and say hey wait a minute---I wonder if that one was written by the same person. Or some nasty person may have a copy from 1998 lying around and say--hey they are making big bucks on this but I can say I wrote it in 1998 and---ect.

Other thoughts--it's misuse of the copyright symbol. <shrug> Simply saying you have the 1998 copyright should cover you---unless you have been writing the column or story in serial form since then and you want to re-state your rights to all the ones you have written. I believe cartoonists do this copyright 1998 - 2001. Though if you have each separate one copyrighted then why do that? Perhaps a matter of preference?

None of this helps does it? You asked for thoughts and opinions--LOL Ask a tired crabby person for sense and doubtful you will get any.

Anyway---If you wrote it in 1998 and put 1998 on it when it gets published you run the risk of someone by-passing the story because it is "old stuff". Put the 2001 on it to make it seems new and fresh.

Yes, it's copyrighted as soon as it's written, but when a copyright date is printed with material it is an indication of when that material was first published.

You don't need to put the copyright notice on any manuscript you send to professional publications.