What's the proper copyright notice for a modified file?

[robertpoor]

Is there a lawyer in the house?  At the risk of slipping into pedantry, what's the proper copyright notice for a modified SDK and/or Bootloader file?   Consider the following two examples.  First, with an outdated NXP notice:

/*
 * Copyright (c) 2015-2016, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
 * Copyright 2016 NXP
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
 * are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
 * ...
 */

If I've modified this file, should I update the "Copyright 2016 NXP" to be "Copyright 2016-2017 NXP" (even though one of the conditions is that the "source code must retain the above copyright notice")?

And consider this one that lacks any mention of NXP:

/*
 * Copyright (c) 2015, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
 * All rights reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
 * are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
 * ...
 */

Should I add a "Copyright 2017 NXP" line following the Freescale copyright?  Should I maintain the "All rights reserved"?

What's more, is it appropriate for me to add my own copyright line following the NXP line?  (I'm not feeling possessive about the code, but perhaps it's inappropriate to say the code is from NXP if I've created or modified it??)

I'm asking all this because I've created a flash-resident bootloader v2.0 that's been updated to use the SDK 2.0 fsl_xxx driver files and would like to make it available to the community -- with the correct attributions, of course.

[jingpan · Accepted solution]

Hi Robert,

If you are not very sure of the copyright notice, you can copy the whole notice as below:

**     Copyright (c) 1997 - 2016 Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
**     Copyright 2016 - 2017 NXP
**     Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
**     are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
**
**     o Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list
**       of conditions and the following disclaimer.
**
**     o Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this
**       list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or
**       other materials provided with the distribution.
**
**     o Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its
**       contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this
**       software without specific prior written permission.
**
**     THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
**     ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
**     WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
**     DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR
**     ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
**     (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
**     LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON
**     ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
**     (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
**     SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
**
**     http:                 www.nxp.com
**     mail:                 support@nxp.com
**

I think this will be safe enough.

Regards

Jing

[jingpan]

Hi Robert,

When you download software from NXP website, you must have signed a NXP SOFTWARE LINCENSE AGREEMENT. Following it will be OK.

Regards

Jing

[robertpoor]

Hi Jing:

I have read the NXP SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT (and have agreed to it, of course!).  I'm asking specifically about this clause from that agreement.

3.4. You must reproduce any and all of NXP's (or its third party licensor's) copyright notices and other proprietary legends on copies of Licensed Software.

As described in the original question, I'm looking for guidance on the "correct" form of NXP's copyright notice to include in the Licensed Software.

Thank you.