On of those house keeping things that all small business owners should do is to make sure the copyright information is up to date for your intellectual property. For our web-based world that means doing a double check of the fine print for your websites, blogs, etc.
(Note: This is not legal advice. You may wish to consult with an attorney)
I don’t recommend replacing an older copyright like “© 2008″ with “© 2009″. Also, you shouldn’t update the copyright if you haven’t updated or added to the content. However many sites add new content every year that should be protected.
For multi-year works I like to use something like: “© 2008-2009 Owner, Inc. All Rights Reserved” This should go in the footer on all your pages. Additional credit should be given on individual pages if content is used by permission (i.e. license, authorized reproduction, etc)
Finally, if you’re having a problem with infringment you’ll need to register your copyright in order to be eligable for punitive damages. Yes, you can register websites and there are expedited methods available.
In an information economy copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property are important. As a small business owner you need to keep an eye on these things because nobody else will.
