Public Domain

[JJM]

What is the name of your state? IN

I understand that a work for hire that was made before 1/1/79 but has never been published retains it's copyright until 120 years after it was created. Is the time period different for those created before 1/1/79?

 

[divgradcurl]

Unpublished works created before 1978 that were published after 1977 but before 2003: Life of the author + 70 years or 31 December 2047, whichever is greater

Unpublished works created before 1978 that were published after 31 December 2002: Life of the author + 70 years

Unpublished works when the death date of the author is not known: 120 years from date of creation

"Work for hire" works would use the 120 years if they have never been published.

A "work for hire" published after 1977 get either 95 years from date of first publication or 120 years from date of creation, whichever is shorter (but still pretty darn long).

EDIT: This is a good website for copyright terms: http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/training/Hirtle_Public_Domain.htm

 

[JJM]

A "work for hire" published after 1977 get either 95 years from date of first publication or 120 years from date of creation, whichever is longer.

Thanks for the info. but I thought this was which ever is shorter because then ulitmately a company coudl publish a work made 119 years ago and thus keep it out of the public domain for another 95 years.

 

[divgradcurl]

Thanks for the info. but I thought this was which ever is shorter because then ulitmately a company coudl publish a work made 119 years ago and thus keep it out of the public domain for another 95 years.

You are right, I wrote the wrong thing, I'll go back and edit my earlier post.