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Is it legal to have the “// (c) 2019 John Smith” header in all files when there are hundreds of contributors?


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1















Companies use headers like



// Copyright 2011 The Go Authors.



But countless projects with a single maintainer have



// Copyright 2011 John Smith



even though they have hundreds of contributors, all of whom own their contributions.



Is this ok to only include the owner in the header?



Thanks










share|improve this question



























    1















    Companies use headers like



    // Copyright 2011 The Go Authors.



    But countless projects with a single maintainer have



    // Copyright 2011 John Smith



    even though they have hundreds of contributors, all of whom own their contributions.



    Is this ok to only include the owner in the header?



    Thanks










    share|improve this question

























      1












      1








      1








      Companies use headers like



      // Copyright 2011 The Go Authors.



      But countless projects with a single maintainer have



      // Copyright 2011 John Smith



      even though they have hundreds of contributors, all of whom own their contributions.



      Is this ok to only include the owner in the header?



      Thanks










      share|improve this question














      Companies use headers like



      // Copyright 2011 The Go Authors.



      But countless projects with a single maintainer have



      // Copyright 2011 John Smith



      even though they have hundreds of contributors, all of whom own their contributions.



      Is this ok to only include the owner in the header?



      Thanks







      copyright programming






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question










      asked 6 hours ago









      AlexAlex

      1374




      1374






















          1 Answer
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          As far as I am aware, all FLOSS licenses that deal with copyright notices only require the preservation of notices that exist. Each author had the opportunity to add their own name to header when they made their contribution. If they chose not to do so, there is no existing notice from that author to preserve. There is never (as far as I know) any requirement to proactively add a notice that an author chose not to include.



          Not having a copyright notice for some copyright holder is not inherently legally problematic, either, since copyright notices have virtually no legal function. Since a majority of nations ratified the Berne Convention, copyright rights are automatically granted at the time of a work's creation, irrespective of any copyright notice on the work.



          If someone removes existing copyright notices from another author, then that's obviously not allowed by the license (and is typically illegal in general).






          share|improve this answer


























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            1 Answer
            1






            active

            oldest

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            active

            oldest

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            active

            oldest

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            3














            As far as I am aware, all FLOSS licenses that deal with copyright notices only require the preservation of notices that exist. Each author had the opportunity to add their own name to header when they made their contribution. If they chose not to do so, there is no existing notice from that author to preserve. There is never (as far as I know) any requirement to proactively add a notice that an author chose not to include.



            Not having a copyright notice for some copyright holder is not inherently legally problematic, either, since copyright notices have virtually no legal function. Since a majority of nations ratified the Berne Convention, copyright rights are automatically granted at the time of a work's creation, irrespective of any copyright notice on the work.



            If someone removes existing copyright notices from another author, then that's obviously not allowed by the license (and is typically illegal in general).






            share|improve this answer






























              3














              As far as I am aware, all FLOSS licenses that deal with copyright notices only require the preservation of notices that exist. Each author had the opportunity to add their own name to header when they made their contribution. If they chose not to do so, there is no existing notice from that author to preserve. There is never (as far as I know) any requirement to proactively add a notice that an author chose not to include.



              Not having a copyright notice for some copyright holder is not inherently legally problematic, either, since copyright notices have virtually no legal function. Since a majority of nations ratified the Berne Convention, copyright rights are automatically granted at the time of a work's creation, irrespective of any copyright notice on the work.



              If someone removes existing copyright notices from another author, then that's obviously not allowed by the license (and is typically illegal in general).






              share|improve this answer




























                3












                3








                3







                As far as I am aware, all FLOSS licenses that deal with copyright notices only require the preservation of notices that exist. Each author had the opportunity to add their own name to header when they made their contribution. If they chose not to do so, there is no existing notice from that author to preserve. There is never (as far as I know) any requirement to proactively add a notice that an author chose not to include.



                Not having a copyright notice for some copyright holder is not inherently legally problematic, either, since copyright notices have virtually no legal function. Since a majority of nations ratified the Berne Convention, copyright rights are automatically granted at the time of a work's creation, irrespective of any copyright notice on the work.



                If someone removes existing copyright notices from another author, then that's obviously not allowed by the license (and is typically illegal in general).






                share|improve this answer















                As far as I am aware, all FLOSS licenses that deal with copyright notices only require the preservation of notices that exist. Each author had the opportunity to add their own name to header when they made their contribution. If they chose not to do so, there is no existing notice from that author to preserve. There is never (as far as I know) any requirement to proactively add a notice that an author chose not to include.



                Not having a copyright notice for some copyright holder is not inherently legally problematic, either, since copyright notices have virtually no legal function. Since a majority of nations ratified the Berne Convention, copyright rights are automatically granted at the time of a work's creation, irrespective of any copyright notice on the work.



                If someone removes existing copyright notices from another author, then that's obviously not allowed by the license (and is typically illegal in general).







                share|improve this answer














                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer








                edited 3 hours ago

























                answered 5 hours ago









                apsillersapsillers

                15.9k12653




                15.9k12653






























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