Use static copyright years · Issue #126133 · python/cpython (original) (raw)
Navigation Menu
- Explore
- Pricing
Provide feedback
Saved searches
Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly
Appearance settings
Description
Short version
Each January we update the PSF copyright years in the repo:
Copyright © 2001-2024 Python Software Foundation. All rights reserved.
2025 is approaching.
Can we get permission from the PSF to adopt a copyright that does not need updating every year?
I suggest something like one of the following:
Copyright © Python Software Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2001 Python Software Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2001-present Python Software Foundation. All rights reserved.
Longer version
Last year, we updated it in 15 places in 10 files:
Sometimes we miss a few and have to update them later:
- 2023 Update copyright years to 2023. #100848
Update additional copyright years to 2023. #100859 - 2022 Update copyright year to 2022. #30335
Or we miss something, merge the fix a year late, which needs refixing:
- 2021 Bring Python into the new year. #24036
Update README.rst #25514
Fix copyright years in README.rst #31347 - 2020 Bring Python into the next decade. #17801
- 2019 Bump copyright years to 2019. #11404
- 2018 advance copyright years to 2018 #5094
- 2017 Update copyright PSF to 2001-2017 #3421
And sometimes we backport these to (some) older branches, but other years don't:
- 2023 [3.11] Update copyright years to 2023. (gh-100848) #100849
[3.10] Update copyright years to 2023. (gh-100848). #100850
[3.9] Update copyright years to 2023. (gh-100848). #100851
[3.8] Update copyright years to 2023. (gh-100848). #100852
[3.7] Update copyright years to 2023. (gh-100848). #100853 - 2022 [3.10] Update copyright year to 2022. (GH-30335) #30336
[3.9] Update copyright year to 2022. (GH-30335) #30337 - 2020 [3.8] Bring Python into the next decade. (GH-17801) #17802
[3.7] Bring Python into the next decade. (GH-17801). #17803
[3.6] Bring Python into the next decade. (GH-17801). #17804
[2.7] Bring Python into the next decade. (GH-17801). #17805 - 2021 [3.9] Bring Python into the new year. (GH-24036) #24045
[3.8] Bring Python into the new year. (GH-24036) #24046
[3.7] Bring Python into the new year. (GH-24036) #24047
[3.7] Bring Python into the new year. (GH-24036) #24052
[3.6] Bring Python into the new year (GH-24036) #24054 - 2019 [3.7] Bump copyright years to 2019. (GH-11404). #11406
[3.6] Bump copyright years to 2019. (GH-11404). #11407
[2.7] Bump copyright years to 2019. (GH-11404). #11408 - 2018 [3.6] advance copyright years to 2018 (GH-5094) #5104
[2.7] advance copyright years to 2018 (GH-5094). #5105
Sometimes there's lots of duplicate PRs that end up closed and wasting everyone's time:
- README: Use range of years for copyright #6723
- Add 2018 #5069
- Added 2017 to copyright years at the bottom #76
- Update copyright years #62
- Update Copyright dates in README #56
- Update Python Software Foundation Copyright Year. #4
Not only is this tedious work, it is likely unnecessary. A lot of big projects have stopped updating copyright years: https://hynek.me/til/copyright-years/
For example:
Copyright (c) 2009 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2015 - present Microsoft Corporation
Copyright 2013 Netflix, Inc.
Copyright (c) Meta Platforms, Inc. and affiliates.
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) .NET Foundation and Contributors
These either have only have the first year, omit years altogether, or end with "present".
Can we do something similar?