What About Public Domain?
Copyright Protection...
- Eventually Expires
- Generally expires after the lifetime of the author +70 years
Example:
Mark Twain died in 1910. Therefore, the copyright protection on his works expired in 1980.
This Rule is NOT Universal!
Other factors that effect Copyright Protection Length include...
Type of Publication
- Is the work published or unpublished?
Year of Publication
Copyright License Being Sold
- This is especially true for audio/visual records, often owned by record companies rather than songwriters.
Copyright Laws in Other Countries
- Creators from different countries are bound by their country's copyright laws.
Public Domain...
- Includes works NOT protected by Copyright
- Indicates that no one can own it again
- Does NOT require Permission or Fair Use analysis to use
Works Become Public Domain When:
- Copyright License Expires
- Creator Assigns Public Domain Rights to It
