universal-ctags
Does the ending year of copyright need to be updated?
@masatake I suddenly discovered that the ending year of copyright in our source code is still 2022, does this need to be updated?
Originally posted by @leleliu008 in https://github.com/universal-ctags/ctags/discussions/3692
tl,dr; remove technical debt by eliminating the end date.
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Copyright Symbol (©): The use of the copyright symbol ©, while traditional and helpful in clarifying the copyright status of a work, is not legally required for copyright protection. Alternatives such as "Copyright," "Copr.," or the informal (C) are also valid. These notices serve to inform the public of the copyright and deter infringement but are not a precondition for copyright protection.
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Automatic Protection: Copyright protection is automatic upon the creation and fixation of a work in a tangible medium of expression. This principle is supported internationally by the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, which most countries adhere to, thereby eliminating the necessity for formal registration or use of a copyright notice for protection.
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Start Date in Notice: Including the date of first publication in the copyright notice (e.g., © 2024 John Doe) is beneficial as it helps to determine the duration of copyright protection. However, it is not mandatory.
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End Date in Notice: Copyright notices do not typically include an end date. Copyright duration varies by jurisdiction but generally lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years in many places, including the United States and the European Union.
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Best Practices: Employing a copyright notice is considered best practice as it explicitly marks the work as copyrighted, identifies the copyright owner, and specifies the year of first publication, aiding in copyright management and enforcement.
