I wrote: >> > In contrast, pre-1986 (I think) US law specified that works published (== >> > deliberately distributed to the public by their authors) without a copyright >> > statement went into the public domain.
Michael Edwards wrote: >1976; but otherwise basically correct (IANAL) Checked this one again. The elimination of the notice requirement is present in the 1988 Berne Convention Implementation Act. Under the 1976 Act, omission of notice could still result in the work rising into the public domain. Unlike under the 1909 act, errors in name or date on the notice did *not* put the work into the public domain. Neither did compilation situations where the compilation copyright notice was present, I believe. Nor did unauthorized publication without notice. However, deliberate total omission of copyright notices still did. This was changed by the BCIA in 1988. :-P
