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The symbol, a year and a name — and why it is no longer required.
Also known as: Copyright line, C in a circle with a year, All rights reserved
Three elements in a fixed order. Under the Berne Convention copyright arises automatically and the notice is not needed to have the right, which surprises most people; what it still does is identify the owner and remove an innocent-infringement defence.
A notice conventionally consisting of the copyright symbol, the year of first publication and the name of the rights holder.
A record about how a reference is written, not about what the law says. Nothing here is legal advice.
Not required for copyright to exist. Under the Berne Convention protection arises on creation without formality, so a work with no notice is as protected as one with.
Widely believed to be necessary. Its practical value is identifying the owner and defeating a claim of innocent infringement, not creating the right.
The phrase 'all rights reserved' was required by a 1910 treaty that has since been superseded, and has had no legal effect anywhere for decades. It survives entirely by habit.
obsolete since 2000
A capital C enclosed in a circle, followed by a four-digit year and a personal or corporate name.