diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index b76b281ce47..e5361bd10bd 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2012-07-16  Joseph Myers  <joseph@codesourcery.com>
+
+	* README: Document use of ranges of years in copyright notices.
+
 2012-07-06  Richard Guenther  <rguenther@suse.de>
 
 	* Makefile.def (cloog): Pass $(HOST_GMPINC) and $(HOST_ISLINC)
diff --git a/README b/README
index 7b1097f55c1..be15bc2b44e 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -15,3 +15,8 @@ includes) for usage and porting information.  An online readable
 version of the manual is in the files gcc/doc/gcc.info*.
 
 See http://gcc.gnu.org/bugs/ for how to report bugs usefully.
+
+Copyright years on GCC source files may be listed using range
+notation, e.g., 1987-2012, indicating that every year in the range,
+inclusive, is a copyrightable year that could otherwise be listed
+individually.