A statement placed on copies or phonorecords of a work to inform the
public that a copyright owner is claiming ownership of the particular work. A copyright notice consists of three elements:
- The copyright symbol © (or for phonorecords, the symbol Ⓟ), the word “Copyright”, or the abbreviation “Copr.”;
- The year of first publication of the work; and
- The name of the copyright owner.
A copyright notice is no longer legally required to secure copyright on works first published on or after March 1, 1989, although it does provide legal benefits.