Supplemental Copyright Information | Page 5

US Copyright Office
proximity on the copies. The elements are:
1. *The symbol* (the letter C in a circle), or the word "Copyright", or the abbreviation "Copr."; and
2. *The year of first publication.* If the work is a derivative work or a compilation incorporating previously published material, the year date of first publication of the derivative work or compilation is sufficient. Examples of derivative works are translations or dramatizations; an example of a compilation is an anthology. The year may be omitted when 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 useful articles; 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: (C in a circle symbol) 1999 Jane Doe
The "C in a circle" notice is used only on "visually perceptible" copies. Certain kinds of works, for example, musical, dramatic, and literary works, may be fixed not in "copies" but by means of sound in an audio recording. Since audio recordings such as audio tapes and phonograph disks are "phonorecords" and not "copies", the "C in a circle" notice is not used to indicate protection of the underlying musical, dramatic, or literary work that is recorded.
*The United States is a member of the Universal Copyright Convention (the UCC), which came into force on September 16, 1955. To guarantee protection for a copyrighted work in all UCC member countries, the notice must consist of the symbol (C in a circle symbol)(the word "Copyright" or the abbreviation are not acceptable), the year of first publication, and the name of the copyright proprietor. Example: (C in a circle symbol) 1999 John Doe. For information about international copyright relationships, request Circular 38a, "International Copyright Relations of the United States."
PHONORECORDS OF SOUND RECORDINGS
The copyright notice for phonorecords embodying a sound recording is different from that for other works. Sound recordings are defined as "works that result from the fixation of a series of musical, spoken or other sounds, but not including the sounds accompanying a motion picture or other audiovisual work." Copyright in a sound recording protects the particular series of sounds fixed in the recording against unauthorized reproduction, revision, and distribution. This copyright is distinct from copyright of the musical, literary, or dramatic work that may be recorded on the phonorecord.
Phonorecords may be records (such as LPs and 45s), audio tapes, cassettes, or disks. The notice should contain the following three elements appearing together on the phonorecord:
1. *The symbol* (the letter P in a circle); and
2. *The year of first publication* of the sound recording; and
3. *The name of the owner of copyright* in the sound recording, or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of the owner. If the producer of the sound recording is named on the phonorecord label or container and if no other name appears in conjunction with the notice, the producer's name shall be considered a part of the notice. Example: (P in a circle symbol) 1999 X.Y.Z. Records, Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTRIBUTIONS TO COLLECTIVE WORKS
A "collective work" is one in which a number of contributions that are separate and independent works in themselves are assembled into a collective whole. Examples of collective works include periodicals (such as magazines and journals), encyclopedias, and anthologies.
A single copyright notice applicable to the collective work as a whole serves to indicate protection for all the contributions in the collective work, except for advertisements, regardless of the ownership of copyright in the individual contributions and whether they have been published previously.
However, a separate contribution to a collective work may bear its own notice of copyright, and in some cases, it may be advantageous to utilize the separate notice. As a practical matter, a separate notice will inform the public of the identity of the owner of the contribution. For works first published before March 1, 1989, there may be additional reasons to use a separate notice. If the owner of the collective work is not the same as the owner of an individual contribution that does not bear its own notice, the contribution is considered to bear an erroneous notice. (For the effects of a notice with the wrong name, see "Error in Name" on page 5 of this circular.) Additionally, if an individual author of contributions to a periodical wishes to make a single registration for a group of contributions published within a 12-month period, each contribution must carry its own notice. For information on this type of registration, request Form GR/CP and Information Package 104.
A notice for the collective work will not serve as the notice for advertisements inserted on behalf of persons other than the copyright owner of the collective
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