diff --git a/lib/tasks/copyright.rake b/lib/tasks/copyright.rake
index 447e004b24..f747d9ca47 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/copyright.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/copyright.rake
@@ -51,11 +51,13 @@ namespace :copyright do
     end
   end
 
-  def rewrite_copyright(ending, exclude, format)
+  def rewrite_copyright(ending, exclude, format, path)
     regexp = copyright_regexp(format)
     copyright = short_copyright(format)
 
-    Dir["**/**{.#{ending}}"].each do |file_name|
+    path = '.' if path.nil?
+    raise "Path not found" unless Dir.exists?(path)
+    Dir[File.absolute_path(path) + "/**/*.#{ending}"].each do |file_name|
       # Skip 3rd party code
       next if exclude.any? {|e| file_name.include?(e) }
 
@@ -73,7 +75,7 @@ namespace :copyright do
   end
 
   desc "Update the copyright on .rb source files"
-  task :update_rb do
+  task :update_rb, :arg1 do |task, args|
     excluded = (["diff",
                  "ruby-net-ldap-0.0.4",
                  "acts_as_tree",
@@ -85,37 +87,37 @@ namespace :copyright do
                (["SVG",
                  "redcloth"].map{ |dir| "lib/#{dir}" })
 
-    rewrite_copyright("rb", excluded, :rb)
+    rewrite_copyright("rb", excluded, :rb, args[:arg1])
   end
 
   desc "Update the copyright on .rake source files"
-  task :update_rake do
-    rewrite_copyright("rake", [], :rb)
+  task :update_rake, :arg1 do |task, args|
+    rewrite_copyright("rake", [], :rb, args[:arg1])
   end
 
   desc "Update the copyright on .feature source files"
-  task :update_feature do
-    rewrite_copyright("feature", [], :rb)
+  task :update_feature, :arg1 do |task, args|
+    rewrite_copyright("feature", [], :rb, args[:arg1])
   end
 
   desc "Update the copyright on .css source files"
-  task :update_css do
+  task :update_css, :arg1 do |task, args|
     excluded = ["app/assets/stylesheets/reset.css",
                 "lib/assets",
                 "app/assets/javascripts/tinymce"]
 
-    rewrite_copyright("css", excluded, :css)
+    rewrite_copyright("css", excluded, :css, args[:arg1])
   end
 
   desc "Update the copyright on .css.erb source files"
-  task :update_css_erb do
+  task :update_css_erb, :arg1 do |task, args|
     excluded = ["lib/assets/stylesheets/select2.css.erb"]
 
-    rewrite_copyright("css.erb", excluded, :css)
+    rewrite_copyright("css.erb", excluded, :css, args[:arg1])
   end
 
   desc "Update the copyright on .js source files"
-  task :update_js do
+  task :update_js, :arg1 do |task, args|
     excluded = ["lib/assets",
                 "app/assets/javascripts/Bitstream_Vera_Sans_400.font.js",
                 "app/assets/javascripts/date-de-DE.js",
@@ -126,37 +128,41 @@ namespace :copyright do
                 "app/assets/javascripts/calendar",
                 "app/assets/javascripts/jstoolbar"]
 
-    rewrite_copyright("js", excluded, :js)
+    rewrite_copyright("js", excluded, :js, args[:arg1])
   end
 
   desc "Update the copyright on .js.erb source files"
-  task :update_js_erb do
+  task :update_js_erb, :arg1 do |task, args|
     excluded = ["lib/assets",
                 "app/assets/javascripts/tinymce",
                 "app/assets/javascripts/calendar",
                 "app/assets/javascripts/jstoolbar"]
 
-    rewrite_copyright("js.erb", excluded, :erb)
+    rewrite_copyright("js.erb", excluded, :erb, args[:arg1])
   end
 
   desc "Update the copyright on .html.erb source files"
-  task :update_html_erb do
-    rewrite_copyright("html.erb", [], :erb)
+  task :update_html_erb, :arg1 do |task, args|
+    rewrite_copyright("html.erb", [], :erb, args[:arg1])
   end
 
   desc "Update the copyright on .api.rsb source files"
-  task :update_api_rsb do
-    rewrite_copyright("api.rsb", [], :rb)
+  task :update_api_rsb, :arg1 do |task, args|
+    rewrite_copyright("api.rsb", [], :rb, args[:arg1])
   end
 
   desc "Update the copyright on all source files"
-  task :update => [:update_css,
-                   :update_rb,
-                   :update_js,
-                   :update_js_erb,
-                   :update_css_erb,
-                   :update_html_erb,
-                   :update_api_rsb,
-                   :update_rake,
-                   :update_feature]
+  task :update, :arg1 do |task, args|
+    [:update_css,
+     :update_rb,
+     :update_js,
+     :update_js_erb,
+     :update_css_erb,
+     :update_html_erb,
+     :update_api_rsb,
+     :update_rake,
+     :update_feature].each do |t|
+      Rake::Task['copyright:' + t.to_s].invoke(args[:arg1])
+    end
+  end
 end