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Empower - Module 8 - Using Information

Copyright Length and 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 Affecting Copyright Protection Length:

Table describing other factors affecting copyright protection length: The first is the work's type of publication. Is the work published or unpublished? The second is the work's year of publication. The copyright law of 1976 and its amendments differs its rules for different date ranges. The third is the copyright license being sold for the work. This is especially true for audio visual works, often owned by record companies rather than artists. Finally, the fourth is other countries' copyright laws. Creators from different countries are bound by their countries' copyright laws.

 

To read more about the United States Copyright Law of 1976 and its amendments, click the link below.

https://www.copyright.gov/title17/

Public Domain:

  • Includes works not protected by Copyright
  • Indicates that no one can own it again
  • Does not require permission or Fair Use analysis for legal use

 
Works Become Public Domain:
  • When their Copyright licenses expire
  • When their creators assign Public Domain rights to them
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