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Terms of Copyright Protection
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The Copyright Term Extension Act (Public Law 105-298), signed into law on
October 27, 1998,
amended the provisions of title 17, United States Code, with respect to
the duration of copyright.
Specific provisions are as follows:
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For works created after January 1, 1978,
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copyright protection endures for the life of the author plus an additional
70 years. In the case of
joint work, the term lasts for 70 years after the last surviving author's
death. For anonymous and
pseudonymous works and works made for hire (corporate authorship), the term expires 95 years
from
the first
publication or 120 years from the year of creation, whichever expires
first;
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For works created but not published or registered before January 1,
1978,
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the term endures for life of the author plus 70 years, but in no case will
expire earlier than
December 31, 2002. If the work is published before December 31, 2002, the
term will not expire
before December 31, 2047;
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For pre-1978 works still in their original renewal term of copyright,
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the total term is extended to 95 years from the date that copyright was
originally secured.
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There are additional provisions regarding sound recordings made before
February 15, 1972,
termination of grants and licenses, presumption of an author's death, and
reproduction by
libraries and archives.
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Note: the Copyright Term Extension Act did not restore copyright
protection
to any works already in the public domain.
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A more complete table, including information about works published outside the United States, is
available at the Cornell
University Copyright Information Center  .
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