Copyright and this Website

WHEN WORKS PASS INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
Includes material from new Term Extension Act, PL 105-298

DATE OF WORK	PROTECTED FROM	TERM
Created 1-1-78 or after	When work is fixed in tangible medium of expression	Life + 70 years¹(or if work of corporate authorship, the shorter of 95 years from publication, or 120 years from creation²
Published before 1923	In public domain	None
Published from 1923 - 63	When published with notice³	28 years + could be renewed for 47 years, now extended by 20 years for a total renewal of 67 years. If not so renewed, now in public domain
Published from 1964 - 77	When published with notice	28 years for first term; now automatic extension of 67 years for second term
Created before 1-1-78 but not published	1-1-78, the effective date of the 1976 Act which eliminated common law copyright	Life + 70 years or 12-31-2002, whichever is greater
Created before 1-1-78 but published between then and 12-31-2002	1-1-78, the effective date of the 1976 Act which eliminated common law copyright	Life + 70 years or 12-31-2047 whichever is greater

2 Works for hire, anonymous and pseudonymous works also have this term. 17 U.S.C. § 302(c).

3 Under the 1909 Act, works published without notice went into the public domain upon publication. Works published without notice between 1-1-78 and 3-1-89, effective date of the Berne Convention Implementation Act, retained copyright only if, e.g., registration was made within five years. 17 U.S.C. § 405.

This table was prepared by Prof. Laura "Lolly" Gasaway of the Law Faculty, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC and is used with her kind permission.