diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE.md
similarity index 95%
rename from LICENSE
rename to LICENSE.md
index 087f971..963e74f 100644
--- a/LICENSE
+++ b/LICENSE.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-BSD 2-Clause License
+## BSD 2-Clause License
+
+Copyright (c) 2017-2026, Saalfeld Lab
 
-Copyright (c) 2017, Saalfeld Lab
 All rights reserved.
 
 Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
diff --git a/doc/LICENSE.md b/doc/LICENSE.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97e328d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/LICENSE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+## BSD 2-Clause License
+
+Copyright (c) @project.inceptionYear@-@current.year@, Saalfeld Lab
+
+All rights reserved.
+
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+
+* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
+  list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+
+* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+  this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+  and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
+AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
+DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
+FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
+SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
+CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,
+OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 584f02b..3390cc1 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@
 		<license.projectName>N5 HDF5 backend (despite the irony)</license.projectName>
 		<license.organizationName>Saalfeld Lab</license.organizationName>
 		<license.copyrightOwners>Stephan Saalfeld</license.copyrightOwners>
+		<!-- managed by `copy-resources` plugin  -->
+		<license.skipUpdateLicense>true</license.skipUpdateLicense>
+		<license.skipUpdateProjectLicense>true</license.skipUpdateProjectLicense>
 
 		<!-- NB: Deploy releases to the SciJava Maven repository. -->
 		<releaseProfiles>sign,deploy-to-scijava</releaseProfiles>
@@ -171,6 +174,54 @@
 		</dependency>
 	</dependencies>
 
+	<build>
+		<pluginManagement>
+			<plugins>
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+					<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+					<executions>
+						<execution>
+							<id>timestamp-property</id>
+							<goals>
+								<goal>timestamp-property</goal>
+							</goals>
+							<phase>validate</phase>
+							<configuration>
+								<name>current.year</name>
+								<pattern>yyyy</pattern>
+							</configuration>
+						</execution>
+					</executions>
+				</plugin>
+				<plugin>
+					<artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
+					<executions>
+						<execution>
+							<id>copy</id>
+							<phase>compile</phase>
+							<goals>
+								<goal>copy-resources</goal>
+							</goals>
+							<configuration>
+								<outputDirectory>${basedir}</outputDirectory>
+								<resources>
+									<resource>
+										<directory>doc</directory>
+										<includes>
+											<include>*.md</include>
+										</includes>
+										<filtering>true</filtering>
+									</resource>
+								</resources>
+							</configuration>
+						</execution>
+					</executions>
+				</plugin>
+			</plugins>
+		</pluginManagement>
+	</build>
+
 	<repositories>
 		<repository>
 			<id>scijava.public</id>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/hdf5/N5HDF5Reader.java b/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/hdf5/N5HDF5Reader.java
index df7377b..65891a6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/hdf5/N5HDF5Reader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/hdf5/N5HDF5Reader.java
@@ -1,28 +1,3 @@
-/**
- * Copyright (c) 2017, Stephan Saalfeld
- * All rights reserved.
- * <p>
- * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
- * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
- * <p>
- * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
- * this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
- * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
- * this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
- * and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
- * <p>
- * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
- * AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
- * IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
- * ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE
- * LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
- * CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF
- * SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
- * INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
- * CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
- * ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
- * POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
- */
 package org.janelia.saalfeldlab.n5.hdf5;
 
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.base.mdarray.MDArray;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/hdf5/N5HDF5Writer.java b/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/hdf5/N5HDF5Writer.java
index 84045ce..d0402e9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/hdf5/N5HDF5Writer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/hdf5/N5HDF5Writer.java
@@ -1,28 +1,3 @@
-/**
- * Copyright (c) 2017, Stephan Saalfeld
- * All rights reserved.
- *
- * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
- * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
- *
- * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
- *    this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
- * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
- *    this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
- *    and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
- *
- * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
- * AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
- * IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
- * ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE
- * LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
- * CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF
- * SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
- * INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
- * CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
- * ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
- * POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
- */
 package org.janelia.saalfeldlab.n5.hdf5;
 
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.base.mdarray.MDArray;