diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f3704eb0fd..db914fdade 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1302,7 +1302,6 @@ dnl ############################
 
 dnl set license and copyright notice
 AC_DEFINE(GST_LICENSE, "LGPL", [GStreamer license])
-AC_DEFINE(GST_COPYRIGHT, "(c) 1999-2003 The GStreamer Team", [copyright message in plugins])
 dnl package name in plugins
 AC_ARG_WITH(package-name,
 AC_HELP_STRING([--with-package-name],[specify package name to use in plugins]),
diff --git a/ext/a52dec/gsta52dec.c b/ext/a52dec/gsta52dec.c
index be7a1dd6d1..82c64b9734 100644
--- a/ext/a52dec/gsta52dec.c
+++ b/ext/a52dec/gsta52dec.c
@@ -644,7 +644,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "GPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 );
diff --git a/ext/dvdnav/dvdnavsrc.c b/ext/dvdnav/dvdnavsrc.c
index 51dd23a5ef..381c64bc05 100644
--- a/ext/dvdnav/dvdnavsrc.c
+++ b/ext/dvdnav/dvdnavsrc.c
@@ -1466,6 +1466,5 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "GPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN)
diff --git a/ext/dvdread/dvdreadsrc.c b/ext/dvdread/dvdreadsrc.c
index 9a4c755c10..ba3ad9046f 100644
--- a/ext/dvdread/dvdreadsrc.c
+++ b/ext/dvdread/dvdreadsrc.c
@@ -792,7 +792,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "GPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN)
 
diff --git a/ext/lame/gstlame.c b/ext/lame/gstlame.c
index a54de9927a..52cc17eaa5 100644
--- a/ext/lame/gstlame.c
+++ b/ext/lame/gstlame.c
@@ -943,6 +943,5 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "LGPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN)
diff --git a/ext/mad/gstmad.c b/ext/mad/gstmad.c
index 034c652a7b..18ce83f0da 100644
--- a/ext/mad/gstmad.c
+++ b/ext/mad/gstmad.c
@@ -1261,7 +1261,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "GPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )
diff --git a/ext/mpeg2dec/gstmpeg2dec.c b/ext/mpeg2dec/gstmpeg2dec.c
index dd815641d9..0b9b227e65 100644
--- a/ext/mpeg2dec/gstmpeg2dec.c
+++ b/ext/mpeg2dec/gstmpeg2dec.c
@@ -1180,6 +1180,5 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "GPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN)
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/audio/audio.c b/gst-libs/gst/audio/audio.c
index 3a723b891b..f5ddaf8ba6 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/audio/audio.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/audio/audio.c
@@ -192,7 +192,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   GST_LICENSE,
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 );
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/idct/idct.c b/gst-libs/gst/idct/idct.c
index 4e62a47176..59c6a844da 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/idct/idct.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/idct/idct.c
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   GST_LICENSE,
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/resample/resample.c b/gst-libs/gst/resample/resample.c
index 52a80e61ae..575922dc3d 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/resample/resample.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/resample/resample.c
@@ -886,7 +886,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   GST_LICENSE,
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 );
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/riff/riff.c b/gst-libs/gst/riff/riff.c
index bb29150c09..53a922a676 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/riff/riff.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/riff/riff.c
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   GST_LICENSE,
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/video/video.c b/gst-libs/gst/video/video.c
index 0d4a2ea62a..706acc3bc7 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/video/video.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/video/video.c
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   GST_LICENSE,
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/xwindowlistener/xwindowlistener.c b/gst-libs/gst/xwindowlistener/xwindowlistener.c
index dda220c0e9..a2b769941c 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/xwindowlistener/xwindowlistener.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/xwindowlistener/xwindowlistener.c
@@ -650,7 +650,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   GST_LICENSE,
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )
diff --git a/gst/ac3parse/gstac3parse.c b/gst/ac3parse/gstac3parse.c
index d21ba7d185..ab04d018ee 100644
--- a/gst/ac3parse/gstac3parse.c
+++ b/gst/ac3parse/gstac3parse.c
@@ -451,7 +451,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE(
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "LGPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )
diff --git a/gst/asfdemux/gstasfdemux.c b/gst/asfdemux/gstasfdemux.c
index 69d2b549d2..0402c26b16 100644
--- a/gst/asfdemux/gstasfdemux.c
+++ b/gst/asfdemux/gstasfdemux.c
@@ -1638,7 +1638,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "LGPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )
diff --git a/gst/asfdemux/gstasfmux.c b/gst/asfdemux/gstasfmux.c
index 6c8492fe8d..437eea5c7a 100644
--- a/gst/asfdemux/gstasfmux.c
+++ b/gst/asfdemux/gstasfmux.c
@@ -1398,6 +1398,5 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "LGPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN)
diff --git a/gst/mpegaudioparse/gstmpegaudioparse.c b/gst/mpegaudioparse/gstmpegaudioparse.c
index 3a1c067d0f..0ce2942d45 100644
--- a/gst/mpegaudioparse/gstmpegaudioparse.c
+++ b/gst/mpegaudioparse/gstmpegaudioparse.c
@@ -600,7 +600,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "LGPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )
diff --git a/gst/mpegstream/gstmpegstream.c b/gst/mpegstream/gstmpegstream.c
index fdf57a89b0..58866d2ece 100644
--- a/gst/mpegstream/gstmpegstream.c
+++ b/gst/mpegstream/gstmpegstream.c
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "LGPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )
diff --git a/gst/realmedia/rmdemux.c b/gst/realmedia/rmdemux.c
index 0d3826b023..9d72edc517 100644
--- a/gst/realmedia/rmdemux.c
+++ b/gst/realmedia/rmdemux.c
@@ -215,7 +215,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "LGPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )
diff --git a/gst/synaesthesia/gstsynaesthesia.c b/gst/synaesthesia/gstsynaesthesia.c
index 8c3beb7be6..011a66ab32 100644
--- a/gst/synaesthesia/gstsynaesthesia.c
+++ b/gst/synaesthesia/gstsynaesthesia.c
@@ -409,7 +409,6 @@ GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (
   plugin_init,
   VERSION,
   "GPL",
-  GST_COPYRIGHT,
   GST_PACKAGE,
   GST_ORIGIN
 )