What the Copyright Notice on toddthahn.com Means

Updated

The copyright notice on toddthahn.com — "Copyright © 1999-2023, Todd T. Hahn. All rights reserved." — means the site's content is owned by Todd T. Hahn, and no one may copy, republish, or reuse it without permission. The 1999–2023 range indicates the material has existed and been maintained over roughly two decades, but it does not by itself grant any right to reuse the content.

What each part of the notice says

Element What it tells you
"Copyright ©" Claims copyright protection over the site's content
"1999-2023" The years covered by the claim — the content dates back to 1999 and was still being claimed as of 2023
"Todd T. Hahn" The named copyright holder
"All rights reserved" No rights are granted to visitors by default; permission must be obtained

The site is credited to "todd hahn & heather kaiser-hahn," while the copyright line names only Todd T. Hahn. That is common: the copyright holder and the site's named authors or contributors are not always identical.

What you can and cannot do

Generally allowed without asking:

  • Reading, browsing, and linking to the site
  • Quoting a short passage for commentary, criticism, or news reporting, where your local law permits fair use or fair dealing

Generally not allowed without permission:

  • Copying or republishing articles, images, or other content in full
  • Using the content commercially
  • Reposting content on another site, in a newsletter, or in a product
  • Creating derivative works from the content

"All rights reserved" is the strict default: nothing is licensed to you unless the site says so or you get permission. The page evidence shows no license, terms-of-use, or Creative Commons statement, so do not assume any reuse is permitted.

How to request permission

If you want to reuse something from the site, the notice points you to the named party:

  1. Identify exactly what you want to use (page URL, specific text or image).
  2. Describe how you plan to use it (personal, educational, commercial, republished, modified).
  3. Contact the site's named party — Todd T. Hahn — through whatever contact method the site provides.
  4. Wait for an explicit yes before publishing. Silence is not permission.

Common points of confusion

  • "It's on the public internet, so it's free to use." No. Public visibility and copyright permission are separate things.
  • "The copyright ended in 2023." The range shows the last year claimed, not an expiration date. Copyright terms last far longer than the notice period.
  • "The site looks old or inactive, so nobody will mind." Age or inactivity does not waive copyright.
  • "I'll just credit the author." Attribution alone does not replace permission when a work is fully reproduced.

If your use is short quotation for commentary or criticism, check the fair use or fair dealing rules that apply where you are; those rules can allow limited use without permission, but they are narrow and fact-specific. For anything beyond that, ask first.