diff --git a/lib/licensee/project_files/license_file.rb b/lib/licensee/project_files/license_file.rb
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/licensee/project_files/license_file.rb
+++ b/lib/licensee/project_files/license_file.rb
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ module Licensee
 
       def attribution
         @attribution ||= begin
-          return unless license.content =~ /\[fullname\]/
+          return unless copyright? || license.content =~ /\[fullname\]/
           matches = Matchers::Copyright::REGEX
                     .match(content_without_title_and_version)
           matches[0] if matches
diff --git a/spec/licensee/project_files/license_file_spec.rb b/spec/licensee/project_files/license_file_spec.rb
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/spec/licensee/project_files/license_file_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/licensee/project_files/license_file_spec.rb
@@ -35,6 +35,15 @@ RSpec.describe Licensee::ProjectFiles::LicenseFile do
     end
   end
 
+  context 'with a copyright file' do
+    let(:filename) { 'COPYRIGHT' }
+    let(:content) { 'Copyright (C) 2015 Ben Balter' }
+
+    it "doesn't match" do
+      expect(subject.attribution).to eql(content)
+    end
+  end
+
   it 'creates the wordset' do
     expect(subject.wordset.count).to eql(91)
     expect(subject.wordset.first).to eql('permission')
a copyright file can have attribution info