diff --git a/lib/middleware/copyright.js b/lib/middleware/copyright.js
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/middleware/copyright.js
+++ b/lib/middleware/copyright.js
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ var parse = require('parse-copyright');
  */
 
 module.exports = function copyright_(verb) {
+  var copyright = verb.get('data.copyright');
   var readme = verb.files('README.md');
   var parsed = false;
-  var copyright;
 
-  if (!parsed && readme.length) {
+  if (!parsed && !copyright && readme.length) {
     var str = fs.readFileSync(readme[0], 'utf8');
     var res = update(str);
     if (res) {
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ module.exports = function copyright_(verb) {
   }
 
   return function (file, next) {
+    if (typeof copyright === 'string') return next();
+    if (typeof copyright === 'object' && Object.keys(copyright).length) {
+      return next();
+    }
     copyright = verb.get('data.copyright') || parse(file.content)[0] || {};
     verb.set('data.copyright', copyright);
     file.data.copyright = copyright;
skip if copyright is defined.