How to auto assign current year for copyright?

E

Eric

I would like to add Copyright@2010 at footnote,
does anyone have any suggestions on how to auto add current year after @? so
I don't need to change it every year.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
Eric
 
P

Peter Jamieson

You can insert a field code like this after the "@":
{ DATE \@YYYY }

Use ctrl-F9 to insert the {} - don't type them from the keyboard.

Use Alt-F9 to toggle between field codes" and "field results" view.

Personally I prefer not to tie these things to Word's DATE fields and
usually
a. create a custom document property, lets say it's called CopyrightYear
b. try to remember to update it each year
c. insert the value using a field like this

{ DOCPROPERTY CopyrightYear }

That way, you can print stuff that needs to be Copyright 2010 even when
it isn't actually 2010.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
 
P

Peter T. Daniels

You can't use the "at" character for a copyright notice; you must use
c-in-a-circle for it to have legal weight. (Seriously. It's in the US
copyright law.) Word will insert it for you automatically when you
type (c) (and the appropriate AutoFormat As You Type option is turned
on).
 
E

Eric

After Use ctrl-F9 to insert the {}, and type DATE \@YYYY within {}, what
should I do to show the result? I tried Use Alt-F9 with no luck.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
Eric
 
G

Graham Mayor

If that is indeed true for US law, then it is ridiculous. A writer always
owns the copyright to the material he/she creates, unless it is ceded to
someone else. The copyright notice merely draws attention to the fact. The
copyright notice on a document alone is insufficient to prove copyright, and
its omission does not negate the writer's copyright.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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You can't use the "at" character for a copyright notice; you must use
c-in-a-circle for it to have legal weight. (Seriously. It's in the US
copyright law.) Word will insert it for you automatically when you
type (c) (and the appropriate AutoFormat As You Type option is turned
on).
 
D

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

After pressing Alt+F9 to toggle off the display of the field codes, press F9
to update the field. Or, simply press F9 instead of Alt+F9 should work.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP, originally posted via msnews.microsoft.com
 
P

Peter Jamieson

It depends on how you see it. I assume the point Peter is making is that
/if/ you add a notice, it has to be in a certain format (AFAICR that is
also true of UK Copyright law), and if you use a symbol rather than the
word "Copyright" then it has to be the circle-C. Although the rules do
not say that you have to add a notice in order to establish copyright,
they do mention the evidentiary weight of including a copyright notice.

http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap4.html

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
 
G

Graham Mayor

Peter, I see where you are coming from, but as it is so easy to change a
date in a computerised document, the date in a copyright notice has very
little value when it comes to proving copyright, no matter what form you
enter it in.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
G

Graham Mayor

The fact that you are inserting the copyright notice into a footnote
suggests that you may be referencing other documents and you may want to do
this on a regular basis. As the copyright date for a particular document is
never going to change, I think I would avoid fields altogether and use a
macro to insert the copyright notice at the cursor. You could assign the
macro to a keyboard shortcut or toolbar button e.g. for the current year:

Sub InsertCRight()
Selection.TypeText "Copyright " & Chr(169) & Year(Date)
End Sub

For the macro to be able to insert any year, as in a reference to a
document, you would need to be able to select the year. The extra code could
be added, but I wonder if that is any quicker than simply typing the
copyright notice manually? However

Sub InsertCRight()
Selection.TypeText "Copyright " & Chr(169) & _
InputBox("Enter year", , Year(Date))
End Sub

http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
P

Peter T. Daniels

Precisely.

For instance, British copyrights include a notice of "asserting moral
authority" and also that a book "cannot be sold or lent out in any
other form of binding" -- the latter apparently to prevent libraries
from buying the cheaper paperback edition and putting it in a hard
cover for circulation.
 
P

Peter Jamieson

but as it is so easy to change a
date in a computerised document, the date in a copyright notice has very
little value when it comes to proving copyright, no matter what form you
enter it in.

I'd opt for "little" rather than "none". Even a printed date on a
document is not much evidence of publication date, but the law as stated
seems to favour having such a thing rather tan not having it.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
 

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