... hasn't read the copyright law since at least 1978!

See this site for a summary of the various copyright laws that we've had in this country:

http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm

And note that the common law of copyright (which included the notice requirement) was abolished effective 1-1-78. There is now no requirement that copyrighted material contain any notification to that effect. For works created after 1-1-78, the copyright attaches the moment the work is finished and lasts for the life of the last living creator plus 70 years (or, if a corporate creation, 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter).

Nothing passes into the public domain anymore until the copyright has expired and publication of the material with or without a copyright notice has no bearing on that (not even publication on the internet).

----- jim o\-S