2203.1 Works First Published Between January 1, 1978 and February 28, 1989
Prior to March 1, 1989, when a copyrighted work was published with the authority of the copyright owner in the United States or elsewhere, the copyright law generally required that a notice be placed “on all publicly distributed copies from which the work can be visually perceived.” Likewise, the copyright law generally required that a notice be placed “on all publicly distributed phonorecords of [a] sound recording” published in the United States or elsewhere with the authority of the copyright owner. See Copyright Act of 1976, §§ 401 (A), 402 (A), 90 Stat. 2541, 2576-77 (1976) (current version at 17U.S.C. §§ 401 (A), 402 (A)). However, certain omissions of notice before March 1, 1989 could be cured under the 1976 Act. See Section 2203.4.
For a definition and discussion of publication, see Chapter 1900.