We’re at the start of the New Year which is often a time when people think about making updates to their websites. One change that is incredibly important to make is also a task that so many overlook. Your website copyright date.

Ok, so it’s not as exciting as adding new products, changing some images, or uploading a new blog post. But, it’s more important than most people realise, for 2 crucial reasons:

1. To build trust and boost your brand’s reputation
2. To protect your hard work and IP (intellectual property)

A quick note: The following information is for guidance only. I’m not a solicitor so this is not legal advice. It is written based on my knowledge of online marketing, website best practices, and Australian copyright law.

Now that I’ve covered my bum ? ?… For those that aren’t well-versed in website copyright, I have provided a quick and straightforward explanation of what it entails below. Then we can dive into why keeping it up-to-date is so important.

What is a website copyright notice?

It is a notice saying that the work within the website is owned by you and is protected by copyright laws. This protection gives you the right to control how your material is used and most importantly, prohibits others from copying or using it without permission.

The good news for Australians is that as soon as you publish material online (blog post, written content, photos etc.), copyright ownership is automatically applied.

Things get a little more complicated when it comes to your website’s code and design, but that isn’t relevant to this particular post (important to chat about it with your web developer though). The main thing you need to know is this:

With the exception of working directly for an employer (does not include freelancing), unless they agree to transfer it, the person who created the material owns the copyright.

If you want more information on copyright issues concerning the creation and management of websites, the Australian Copyright Council has a very useful Fact Sheet you can download here.

If copyright is automatically applied, why do I need a copyright notice?

In short, because some people suck. ?

Content theft is prevalent on the internet. A common (and annoying!) misconception is that if something is online; because it’s readily available you are welcome to do what you please with it. This is not true. ?‍

Another reason is that some people are just jerks who steal content instead of investing the time and/or money to create their own. ?

Adding a copyright notice on your website is not a legal requirement to assert your rights, but it does make your ownership of the content clear and will hopefully help to discourage theft.

Why an up-to-date website copyright notice is so important

1. To build trust and boost your brand’s reputation

When a visitor lands on a site that has last year’s date (or worse, even older! ?), many will assume the content is also outdated and therefore of low value.

Or, it could even leave them with the impression that if the owner can’t be bothered to stay on top of such a simple task, what else are they neglecting? Are they lazy, disinterested or just don’t care?

We all know how important first impressions are and your website is often the first place people will go to check out your business. When it comes to websites, people do judge a book by its cover and will form an opinion quickly.

So, an outdated website can often come off as unprofessional and negatively influence how a customer perceives your business.

I explore this further in this article too if you’re interested:
How often should I redesign my website?

Your copyright date may be a small piece of the puzzle, but it all adds up and contributes to how you are perceived online.

Conversely, displaying the correct date will subsequently have the opposite effect.

You will help to build trust and authority by leaving visitors with the impression that your site is up with the latest trends and information. It also demonstrates that your website and online presence matter to you, and in turn, so do your customers.

2. To protect your hard work and IP

As mentioned above, content theft is sadly not uncommon, so by including a current copyright notice you are providing yourself with some extra protection. It also helps should an infringement occur and you need to take legal action.

A lot of time and/or money goes into creating the content that goes up on your website. So, having that content stolen can be really disheartening (not to mention aggravating!). Hence, doing what you can to avoid this experience is…

How to nail your website copyright notice

To be the most effective, you want your notice to be visible on every page of your site, which is why you will usually find it within the footer.

And, to be valid, it needs to include 3 parts:

1. The copyright symbol ©, or the words “Copyright” or “Copr.”
   (You can use one or the other, or both.)
2. Current year
3. Name of the copyright owner

Current year: As websites are regularly updated, you have two options here. You can either provide the current year (2023).

Or, a date range indicating the year of original publication to the most recent (2014-2023). Either option is fine, it’s just a matter of preference. I personally prefer to keep it simple and just have the current year.

Name of the copyright owner: For individuals, you can simply use your name. It’s preferable that you use your legal name (i.e. not a pseudonym, handle or alias).

For businesses, you need to use your registered company name (not trading name) for the notice to be valid. For example, here’s my copyright notice: © 2023 Rivmedia Pty Ltd.

You will observe that it states Rivmedia Pty Ltd as that is my company name. Rivmedia Web Design is my trading name and as such is not a legal entity that can own IP.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your copyright date current is one of the simplest tasks to complete yet can have an impactful result. More so when combined with staying on top of your other updates and marketing strategies also.

So, kick off the New Year on a positive note. Show your visitors that you are up to date, that you care, and you’re on your game ?

Need help with your website updates or marketing strategies?

Chat with me today to create a digital marketing plan for your best year yet!

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