Why or do I need to add a copyright to my website?

I did something different this time around when I built my website. When looking at the footer and how to design and what to add to it. I considered the traditional copyright 2014 Elijah Clark. All rights reserved.

Then I asked myself why I was added it. The answer was that I really didn’t know. I became so used to adding it by default to my own and others websites that it had stuck with me.

Nonetheless, I really never knew why. Do I add it because I’m supposed to? Do I have it to make my site look professional or am I adding it to simply scare people off so that they don’t copy the text?

Either way, after research, I’ve found that there is no real reason to have it at all. The fact is that as long as I’m the first to publish the content, then I own the rights anyway. A website has a great track record of changes and my site content, so I don’t really need the copyright for any protection purposes. People will steal content with or without the text.

So, next. Am I doing it to look professional? Well, I think I did at one point. When backlinking was big and I wanted to add my name next to my clients copyright notice with a link back to my site, it made perfect sense. It was branding. My name didn’t look out of place then. Nonetheless, now that a backlink is deemed bad if it’s coming from a new non-nitch website, I no longer add my name or link.

Either way. No one really cares about the copyright. It scares no one and you aren’t going to lose a client because of it.

From a technical standpoint, the law eliminated the requirement of public notice in 1989. So, it isn’t necessary and up to you on whether Or not you want to include it.