How Long Does Copyright Last?

Generally, for published material — literary, dramatic, musical and artistic — work remains in copyright in the U.K., the E.U. and the U.S. until 70 years after the death of the author.

Literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works:

• until 70 years after the death of the author

Films:

• 70 years from the death of whoever is last to survive of director, screenwriter or composer

Typographic copyright in the printed page:

• for 25 years from publication in that edition, so a recent edition of a long-dead author cannot be freely copied: the publisher has copyright in the typography and layout.

Sound recordings:

• are protected by copyright for 50 years after they are published or performed (so recordings from before 1954 are in the public domain from 2004)

Photographs:

• for 70 years after a known photographer’s death, or
• 70 years after the publication of the work of an unknown photographer

Databases:

• as well as the full term of copyright in the material included, there is a 15-year database right: this begins from each time the database is updated

Unpublished Material:

• ALL unpublished material is currently in copyright
• pre-1989 material remains in copyright until 2039
• post-1989 material is copyrighted until 70 years after year of creation

Remember that there may be more than one copyright holder (multiple authors; writer and composer, etc.)