Practical examples of copyright disclaimers for websites

Real-world examples of copyright disclaimers for websites

Let’s skip theory and start with actual wording you can use. These are not magic spells, but they’re realistic examples of copyright disclaimers for websites that you can adapt to your own situation.

Short footer example of a copyright disclaimer

This is the kind of thing you see at the bottom of a small business or personal site:

© 2025 [Your Business Name]. All rights reserved.
This website and its content are the property of [Your Business Name] and are protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from any content on this site without our prior written permission.

This example of a footer disclaimer is simple, but it does a lot of work:

• It asserts ownership of the site content.
• It references U.S. and international copyright protection.
• It clearly prohibits copying and derivative works without permission.

If you only have room for one short paragraph, this is one of the best examples to start from.

Blog-focused example of a copyright disclaimer

Blogs get scraped, copied, and republished constantly. A stronger paragraph can make your position very clear:

Copyright Notice
Unless otherwise noted, all blog posts, articles, images, and other content on this website are © 2020–2025 [Blog Name]. All rights reserved. You may link to our articles, but you may not copy, repost, or translate our content in full or in part without our express written consent. Limited quotation (with a clear, clickable attribution link) may be allowed under applicable copyright laws, including fair use in the United States.

This is one of the more detailed examples of copyright disclaimers for websites that publish editorial content. It does three helpful things:

• Clarifies the date range for copyright.
• Allows linking but restricts copying.
• Mentions fair use without pretending to define it.

If you want to understand fair use better before you reference it, the U.S. Copyright Office offers a plain-language overview: https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/

SaaS or web app example of a copyright disclaimer

If you run a SaaS product or web application, you’re protecting both content and software:

Intellectual Property and Copyright
The Service, including all software, features, text, graphics, logos, and other materials provided by [Company Name], is owned by or licensed to [Company Name] and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Except as expressly allowed in an agreement between you and [Company Name], you may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the Service or included content, nor may you reverse engineer or attempt to extract the source code.

This example of a SaaS copyright disclaimer blends copyright with broader IP rights, which is how most modern Terms of Service are structured.

Online course / membership site example

Creators selling courses or memberships usually want to be very direct about copying:

Course Content Copyright
All videos, worksheets, downloads, and other materials inside this course and membership area are © [Year] [Creator or Company Name]. Purchase of access grants you a personal, non-transferable license to view and use the materials for your own education only. You may not share your login, redistribute the materials, post them online, or use them to create competing products, whether for free or for sale.

Among the best examples for digital products, this one:

• States that buyers receive a license, not ownership.
• Bans sharing logins and redistributing materials.
• Targets the very common problem of people repackaging your work.

User-generated content (UGC) example of a copyright disclaimer

If users can post content—comments, photos, reviews, code snippets—you need to address both your rights and theirs:

User Content and Copyright
You retain ownership of any content you submit, post, or upload to this website ("User Content"). By submitting User Content, you grant [Site Name] a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, translate, distribute, and display that content in connection with operating and promoting the website and our services. You represent and warrant that you have all rights necessary to grant this license and that your User Content does not infringe the rights of any third party.

This is one of the most important examples of copyright disclaimers for websites that host user submissions. It:

• Confirms users keep ownership.
• Grants the site a license broad enough to operate.
• Pushes responsibility for infringement back to the user.

If you’re operating in the U.S. and dealing with user content, you should also understand the DMCA safe harbor rules. The U.S. Copyright Office explains the Digital Millennium Copyright Act here: https://www.copyright.gov/dmca/.

News, research, or reference site example

Newsrooms, research hubs, and reference sites often need tighter control over republication:

Copyright and Reuse Policy
All articles, data, and other content on this website are protected by copyright and other applicable laws. You may share links to our content and may quote brief excerpts with proper attribution. Any other reproduction, republication, or bulk downloading, including by automated means, is prohibited without our prior written permission. For licensing inquiries, contact [email address].

This example of a policy-style disclaimer:

• Allows limited quoting with attribution.
• Explicitly forbids automated scraping and bulk downloading.
• Gives a clear path for licensing requests.

Nonprofit / educational site example

Nonprofits and educational organizations often want to encourage sharing, but with guardrails:

Educational Use and Copyright
Content on this website is © [Year] [Organization Name], unless otherwise indicated. You may use our materials for personal or classroom educational purposes, provided that you do not alter the content, remove copyright notices, or charge for access. Any commercial use, redistribution, or adaptation requires prior written permission from [Organization Name].

Among the best examples for mission-driven organizations, this strikes a balance between access and control.

For more on educational use and copyright, the U.S. Copyright Office provides guidance for educators and librarians: https://www.copyright.gov/circs/.

How to choose between different examples of copyright disclaimers for websites

Looking at multiple examples of copyright disclaimers for websites is useful, but you still have to decide what fits your situation. Think about three practical questions:

1. Who creates most of the content?
If you (or your team) create almost everything, a strong ownership statement and clear restrictions on copying are your baseline. The blog, course, and SaaS examples above are good starting points.

If your users create content, you need language like the UGC example of a disclaimer—something that states users keep ownership but grant you a license. Without that license, you may not have the legal right to even display their posts.

2. How much do you care about strict control vs. sharing?
Some site owners want to lock everything down. Others want their ideas spread widely, as long as they’re credited. The best examples in this article show both approaches:

• “All rights reserved, no copying” language for tight control.
• “Limited quoting with attribution” language for controlled sharing.
• “Personal or classroom educational use allowed” for nonprofits and schools.

You can borrow phrases from each example of a disclaimer and customize the tone to match your strategy.

3. Do you need to mention fair use or exceptions?
You’re not required to mention fair use, and you can’t rewrite the law in your disclaimer. Some site owners simply state their preferences and let the law do its thing. Others add a line acknowledging that uses allowed by law (like fair use in the U.S.) are not restricted.

If you do mention fair use, keep it short and avoid pretending you control it. The blog example above is a good model: it acknowledges fair use exists without trying to redefine it.

Key elements to borrow from the best examples

When you scan all these examples of copyright disclaimers for websites, certain building blocks keep repeating. That’s not an accident. They show up in many of the best examples because they address common disputes.

You’ll see language that:

• Identifies the owner: “© 2025 [Your Business Name]” or “Content is the property of [Organization].”
• Defines the scope: “All text, images, videos, software, and other materials…”
• States what visitors may do: link, quote short excerpts, use for personal or classroom purposes.
• States what visitors may not do: copy, redistribute, resell, scrape, bulk download, reverse engineer.
• Explains licenses: especially for user content and purchased digital products.
• Mentions applicable law: often U.S. and international copyright laws, or specific references like the DMCA.

When drafting your own, you can literally line up two or three real examples of copyright disclaimers for websites, highlight the parts that match your needs, and stitch them together. Just keep the final text readable—if it sounds like it was written by a committee of robots, users will ignore it.

2024–2025 trends affecting website copyright disclaimers

Copyright law itself moves slowly, but how people use websites changes fast. A few current trends should influence how you write your disclaimer.

AI training and scraping

More sites are explicitly saying that their content may not be used to train AI models or scraped by automated tools without permission. If that matters to you, you might adapt the news-site style example like this:

You may not use any content from this website to train artificial intelligence models or for automated data scraping, text and data mining, or similar purposes without our prior written consent.

Courts are still sorting out how copyright applies to AI training, so this language is partly about drawing a line in the sand. It won’t stop every bot, but it signals your position and may matter in future disputes.

Global audiences and cross-border access

Even if you’re based in the U.S., you almost certainly have visitors from other countries. Modern examples of copyright disclaimers for websites often use phrases like “U.S. and international copyright laws” to reflect that reality.

You don’t have to list every country. But you should:

• Avoid language that implies your rights only exist in one jurisdiction.
• Recognize that some users may have additional rights under local law (for example, moral rights in some countries).

Growing focus on user rights and transparency

Regulators and users alike are paying more attention to how platforms handle user content and data. That’s why the UGC example of a copyright disclaimer above:

• Clearly states users retain ownership.
• Spells out exactly what license they grant you.
• Uses plain English instead of opaque legal jargon.

This kind of transparency is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s quickly becoming the default expectation.

Where to place your copyright disclaimer on your site

You can have the best examples of copyright disclaimers for websites sitting in a draft document, but if users can’t find the text, it’s not doing you much good.

Common placements include:

• Footer: A short notice (like the first example) appears on every page. This is almost standard practice at this point.
• Terms of Use / Terms of Service: Longer, policy-style language lives here. Link to it from your footer and sign-up flows.
• Privacy / Legal center: Some sites have a “Legal” or “Policies” hub that links to Terms, Privacy, and Copyright/DMCA pages.
• User onboarding: If you rely heavily on user submissions, highlight the UGC copyright language when users first create an account or upload content.

The best examples combine a short, visible footer notice with a longer policy that users can click into.

Legal reality check

Every example of a disclaimer in this article is for general informational purposes only. Copying text from the internet and pasting it into your site is not the same as getting advice from a lawyer who understands your business, your jurisdiction, and your risk tolerance.

If your site is growing, you’re monetizing content, or you’re handling large volumes of user submissions, consider having an attorney review your Terms of Use and copyright language. The American Bar Association offers resources on finding legal help in the U.S.: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_services/flh-home/.

That said, starting with realistic examples of copyright disclaimers for websites is far better than running a content-heavy site with no notice at all.

FAQ: examples of copyright disclaimers for websites

Q1. Do I legally need a copyright disclaimer on my website?
You don’t need a disclaimer to have copyright. Under U.S. law and most international treaties, your original content is protected as soon as it’s fixed in a tangible form. A disclaimer or notice, however, makes your position obvious to visitors, can deter casual copying, and can help in disputes by showing you asserted your rights clearly.

Q2. Can I just use “© 2025 MySite. All rights reserved.” and be done?
You can, and many sites do. But as the examples of copyright disclaimers for websites above show, adding a sentence or two about what users may and may not do gives you clearer boundaries. A one-line notice is better than nothing; a short paragraph tailored to your site is better still.

Q3. What’s an example of a copyright disclaimer for a personal blog?
A simple example of a blog disclaimer could be:

© 2025 [Your Name]. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed on this blog are my own. You may link to my posts, but you may not copy or republish them without my written permission.

That combines copyright with a basic personal-opinion clarification, which many bloggers like to include.

Q4. Do I need different disclaimers for text, images, and video?
Not necessarily. Many of the best examples in this article cover all formats at once by saying “all text, images, videos, and other materials.” If you license stock photos or embed third-party videos, you may want an extra line clarifying that some assets are used under license and are not yours to sublicense.

Q5. Are there examples of copyright disclaimers for websites using Creative Commons?
Yes. If you intentionally want to allow broader reuse, you might say something like:

Except where otherwise noted, the content on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

You would then link to the relevant Creative Commons license page so users can see the exact terms.

Q6. Is a copyright disclaimer the same as registering my copyright?
No. A disclaimer or notice is just a statement on your site. Registration is a legal process with a government office (for example, the U.S. Copyright Office). In the U.S., registration is required before you can file a copyright infringement lawsuit and may affect the damages you can claim.

Bottom line: study several real examples of copyright disclaimers for websites, borrow the language that fits your content and business model, and then tighten it into something short, readable, and consistent with your overall legal policies. When in doubt, get a lawyer to sanity-check it before you ship.