diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 749404d0a4..2887d3e03e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ endif()
 # The main section of the CMakeLists file
 #
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+include(Source/CMakeCopyright.cmake)
 include(Source/CMakeVersion.cmake)
 
 include(CTest)
diff --git a/Source/CMakeCopyright.cmake b/Source/CMakeCopyright.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8965cf69e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/CMakeCopyright.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# CMake license file and copyright line.
+set(CMake_LICENSE_FILE "${CMake_SOURCE_DIR}/Copyright.txt")
+file(STRINGS "${CMake_LICENSE_FILE}" CMake_COPYRIGHT_LINE LIMIT_COUNT 1 REGEX "^Copyright ")
+if(NOT CMake_COPYRIGHT_LINE MATCHES [[^Copyright 2000-2[0-9][0-9][0-9] Kitware, Inc\. and Contributors$]])
+  message(FATAL_ERROR
+    "The CMake license file:\n"
+    "  ${CMake_LICENSE_FILE}\n"
+    "does not contain a copyright line matching the expected pattern."
+    )
+endif()
diff --git a/Source/QtDialog/CMakeLists.txt b/Source/QtDialog/CMakeLists.txt
index 55f40bf476..187fedc9b8 100644
--- a/Source/QtDialog/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Source/QtDialog/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -306,15 +306,12 @@ Checks: '-*,llvm-twine-local'
 ")
 
 if(APPLE)
-  file(STRINGS "${CMake_SOURCE_DIR}/Copyright.txt" copyright_line
-    LIMIT_COUNT 1 REGEX "^Copyright 2000-20[0-9][0-9] Kitware")
-
   set_target_properties(cmake-gui PROPERTIES
     OUTPUT_NAME CMake
     MACOSX_BUNDLE_INFO_PLIST "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Info.plist.in"
     MACOSX_BUNDLE_SHORT_VERSION_STRING "${CMAKE_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
     # TBD: MACOSX_BUNDLE_BUNDLE_VERSION "${CMAKE_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
-    MACOSX_BUNDLE_COPYRIGHT "${copyright_line}"
+    MACOSX_BUNDLE_COPYRIGHT "${CMake_COPYRIGHT_LINE}"
     MACOSX_BUNDLE_GUI_IDENTIFIER "org.cmake.cmake"
     )
 
diff --git a/Utilities/Sphinx/CMakeLists.txt b/Utilities/Sphinx/CMakeLists.txt
index a919b9147a..e7a53ab872 100644
--- a/Utilities/Sphinx/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Utilities/Sphinx/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ if(NOT CMake_SOURCE_DIR)
   get_filename_component(tmp "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}" PATH)
   get_filename_component(CMake_SOURCE_DIR "${tmp}" PATH)
   include(${CMake_SOURCE_DIR}/Modules/CTestUseLaunchers.cmake)
+  include(${CMake_SOURCE_DIR}/Source/CMakeCopyright.cmake)
   include(${CMake_SOURCE_DIR}/Source/CMakeVersion.cmake)
   include(${CMake_SOURCE_DIR}/Source/CMakeInstallDestinations.cmake)
   configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/CTestCustom.cmake.in ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/CTestCustom.cmake @ONLY)
@@ -50,10 +51,7 @@ elseif(NOT SPHINX_EXECUTABLE)
   message(FATAL_ERROR "SPHINX_EXECUTABLE (sphinx-build) is not found!")
 endif()
 
-set(copyright_line_regex "^Copyright (2000-20[0-9][0-9] Kitware.*)")
-file(STRINGS "${CMake_SOURCE_DIR}/Copyright.txt" copyright_line
-  LIMIT_COUNT 1 REGEX "${copyright_line_regex}")
-if(copyright_line MATCHES "${copyright_line_regex}")
+if(CMake_COPYRIGHT_LINE MATCHES "^Copyright (.*)$")
   set(conf_copyright "${CMAKE_MATCH_1}")
 else()
   set(conf_copyright "Kitware, Inc.")