Why do bloggers place "© [Year] [Name]" at the bottom of their blogs? Is it required by law? Nope. Does it have any real legal effect? Again, no. Prior to the enactment of the 1976 Copyright Act, if an author published a work without the proper copyright notice, then virtually all copyright protections were lost. However, for any works published after March 1, 1989, the use of a copyright symbol, notice, etc., is purely optional. If you would like more information regarding the use of copyright notices, click here. If you would like more detailed information, click here. Finally, if you still need something to read, click here.
So, why do bloggers do it? Well, they do it because they see other bloggers do it, and they incorrectly assume it means something. Why, then, would I include it on my blog? Simple: To educate the curious.