Where is the proper placement of the copyright symbol?

Answer 1

PLACEMENT OF REGISTERED TRADEMARK SYMBOL

The federal trademark symbol, the encircled R (®), needs to be "displayed with the mark" (15 U.S.C. § 1111- see below). Customarily, the same is true also when using the superscripted TM (™) or SM (sm) for marks that are unregistered. No strict placement rule exists. There are only general guidelines and customary placement rules. Typically the symbol is placed at a minimum in the first and/or most prominent usage of the mark in collateral. However, the symbol may be used every time whenever using a trademark. In logos the registration symbol(®) is typically placed in upper-right hand corner. Oftentimes you will see it in the bottom right hand corner. In text, the mark should appear directly after the portion of the text that has been registered. The actual trademark statute has been copied and pasted below for reader's convenience.

TITLE III - NOTICE OF REGISTRATION

§ 29 (15 U.S.C. § 1111). Notice of registration; display with mark; recovery of profits and damages in infringement suit

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1072 of this title, a registrant of a mark registered in the Patent and Trademark Office, may give notice that his mark is registered by displaying with the mark the words "Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office" or "Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off." or the letter R enclosed within a circle, thus ®; and in any suit for infringement under this chapter by such a registrant failing to give such notice of registration, no profits and no damages shall be recovered under the provisions of this chapter unless the defendant had actual notice of the registration.

(Amended Oct. 9, 1962, 76 Stat. 773; Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1949; Nov. 16, 1988, 102 Stat. 1343.)

*Note: The amendment of the wording of this term by Public Law 93-596 became effective on January 2, 1975. However, the amendment provides that any registrant may continue to give notice of his registration in accordance with § 29 of the Trademark Act of 1946, as amended Oct. 9, 1962, as an alternative to notice in accordance with § 29 of the Trademark Act as amended by Public Law 93-596, regardless of whether his mark was registered before or after January 2, 1975.

Answer 2

A copyright notice can be placed anywhere within a protected work, or even nowhere at all: a notification is not required for protection.

In the United States, a properly written copyright notice usually consists of three elements::

1. the © symbol (in some cases (c) is substituted), the word "Copyright" or abbreviation "Copr.";

2. the first year of publication; and

3. the owner of the copyright, either by name, abbreviation, or other designation