diff --git a/lib/libncurses/copyright.c b/lib/libncurses/copyright.c
index ac95b4962d11..c902fe3524ed 100644
--- a/lib/libncurses/copyright.c
+++ b/lib/libncurses/copyright.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-char _ncurses_copyright[] = "\
+char _ncurses_copyright[] = "\n\
 /***************************************************************************\n\
 *                         COPYRIGHT NOTICE                                 *\n\
 ****************************************************************************\n\
diff --git a/lib/libncurses/lib_initscr.c b/lib/libncurses/lib_initscr.c
index 930245b75691..863a74d76242 100644
--- a/lib/libncurses/lib_initscr.c
+++ b/lib/libncurses/lib_initscr.c
@@ -13,18 +13,14 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include "curses.priv.h"
 
-extern char _ncurses_copyright[];
-
 WINDOW *initscr()
 {
-	char *use_it;
 #ifdef TRACE
 	_init_trace();
 
 	if (_tracing)
 	    _tracef("initscr() called");
 #endif
-	use_it = _ncurses_copyright;
   	if (newterm(getenv("TERM"), stdout, stdin) == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 	else {
diff --git a/lib/libncurses/lib_newterm.c b/lib/libncurses/lib_newterm.c
index a411e26f07f5..9060abbfebfc 100644
--- a/lib/libncurses/lib_newterm.c
+++ b/lib/libncurses/lib_newterm.c
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ SCREEN * newterm(char *term, FILE *ofp, FILE *ifp)
 sigaction_t act;
 int	errret;
 int	stolen, topstolen;
+extern char _ncurses_copyright[];
+char   *use_it = _ncurses_copyright;
 
 #ifdef TRACE
 	_init_trace();