The copyright notice saying 1999-2000 on Pokémon cards means those cards were printed and released during the late 1990s and early 2000s by Wizards of the Coast, the first company outside Japan to handle the Pokémon Trading Card Game in English-speaking markets like the United States. This date shows up right at the bottom of the card, usually in small text like “©1999-2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.” or something very close, and it marks the official protection period for the artwork, designs, names, and rules on that specific card under U.S. copyright law[4]. Wizards started printing these cards in 1999, right after the game launched in January of that year, and they kept using the 1999-2000 range on many sets through 2000 to cover the years when production was happening[2][4].
To understand this better, you have to go back to how Pokémon cards even got made in the first place. Pokémon started as video games in Japan in 1996, with Pocket Monsters Red and Green coming out on February 27 of that year. Even those early games had a 1995 copyright because the core ideas and characters were locked in that year[2]. The trading card game, though, was a Japanese thing at first, released in October 1996 by Media Factory. It blew up huge there, but it took until 1999 for it to hit the West. Wizards of the Coast, the same folks who made Magic: The Gathering, got the license from The Pokémon Company to print and sell English versions. They kicked it off with the Base Set in January 1999, and that set, along with Jungle, Fossil, and others from the first generation, often carried that 1999-2000 copyright stamp[1][2][4].
Why the double year, 1999-2000? Printing cards isn’t instant. Wizards would design, test, print huge batches, and distribute them over months or even years. The 1999 part nods to when the cards first got copyrighted, probably around the time artwork was finalized and production started. The 2000 covers later print runs, like reprints or expansions that kept rolling out. For example, in the Base Set, you see this on unlimited prints, shadowless versions, and even some 1st Edition cards. It was their way of saying these cards are protected from 1999 through at least 2000, no matter when your specific pack was made[4]. This was standard for Wizards during that era, and it helps collectors today figure out the age and print run of their cards.
Now, let’s talk about what kinds of cards have this exact marking. It shows up a lot on first-generation sets, which are the most collected today because they’re the originals. Take the Base Set: cards like Charizard, Blastoise, or Venusaur holos from unlimited prints often have ©1999-2000. Shadowless cards, which are a middle print run without the shadow around the card art, also carry it. Even some error cards from that time, like the Dark Arbok where the copyright got messed up to read “©1999-23000 Wizards” because of a printing glitch inserting a 3, still base it on the 1999-2000 line[4]. Vulpix cards from 1st Edition, Shadowless, and unlimited had HP listed wrong as “HP 50” instead of “50 HP,” and only later UK prints in 1999-2000 fixed it[4]. Ninetales had a black flame version on some unlimited prints before they switched to blue[4]. Gengar holos sometimes have yellow ink spots on the back near the “MO” in Pokémon, and those are tied to the same print era[4].
These print variations are a big deal for collectors. 1st Edition cards have a stamp in the bottom left saying “1st Edition,” and they’re the very first batches from 1999, super rare now. Shadowless came next, with cleaner art, still under that copyright. Unlimited prints flooded the market later, making them more common but still valuable for holos. The 1999-2000 date helps spot fakes too—modern counterfeits might mess up the font or spacing around that text[3][4]. Wizards stopped printing Pokémon cards in 2003 after some licensing issues, and The Pokémon Company took over directly, switching to their own copyrights like ©1995-2006 or later[1][2].
The copyright itself protects everything on the card: the Pokémon names, attack names like Thunderbolt or Hydro Pump, the energy symbols, even the Poké Ball art. In the U.S., copyright lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years or 95-120 years for works made for hire like these, so 1999-2000 cards are safe until way into the future[4]. It doesn’t mean the cards expire or anything; it just dates when Wizards claimed ownership of that print. The Pokémon Company still owns the overall brand, with Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures splitting it three ways since the beginning[1]. Back in 1997, they even formed a copyright council led by Tsunekazu Ishihara to approve all merchandise, meeting weekly to keep quality high and reject bad ideas[1][2]. That council had final say on everything, even Western products from Wizards[1][2].
During 1999-2000, Pokémon cards exploded into Pokémania. The TCG launched in the U.S. in January 1999, right after the Game Boy Color games in September 1998 and the anime in the same month[2]. Booster packs with 11 random cards caused a stir because rare holos like holographic Charizard were hard to pull, and some called it gambling for kids[2]. Parents freaked out, but kids traded like crazy at school. Wizards printed millions, but demand was insane—stores had lines, and black market fakes started popping up even then. Promo cards were huge too, like the Japanese Masaki promos from 1997-1998 where kids mailed in basic Pokémon cards from CoroCoro magazine and got evolved versions back, illustrated by Ken Sugimori himself[3]. Those weren’t Wizards, but they set the stage for Western promos under the 1999-2000 era.
Speaking of value, that copyright date is gold for collectors. A mint 1st Edition Base Set Charizard from 1999 can sell for hundreds of thousands today, graded PSA 10. Shadowless or unlimited with clean 1999-2000 prints fetch less but still big money for rares. Errors like the ink-blot Gengar or misprinted copyrights add rarity—Dark Arbok’s “1999-23000” is uncorrected and sought after[4]. Sites like Etsy even sell related merch from that time, like 1999/2000 Pokémon tattoo packs from Topps/Merlin, showing how the craze spilled everywhere[6]. To check authenticity, look at the copyright line: font should be crisp, no blurry edges, and Wizards logo tiny but clear. Grading services like PSA or BGS verify it, especially fo
