How long do copyrights last?

In Washington, copyrights generally last for the life of the author plus seventy years. This means that the author has exclusive rights to the work during their lifetime, and then the rights are passed on to their heirs after they have passed away. It is important to note that this only applies to works that have been formally copyrighted with the United States Copyright Office. For works that are created with collective authorship meaning more than one person was involved, the copyright will only be valid for seventy years after the death of the last author. Additionally, if the work was made for hire, meaning it was done as a job and not by the author themselves, then the copyright will only be valid for 95 years from the year the work was published. Finally, for anonymous works, the copyright is only valid for 95 years from the date of publication. If the work is still anonymous after 95 years, then it is considered to be in the public domain and anyone can use it without permission or paying royalties. Overall, copyrights can vary in length depending on the types of work and the authors involved, so it is important to check the United States Copyright Office for specific details on the length of a copyright. It is also important to remember that infringement of a copyright can lead to legal trouble, so understanding the full extent of a copyright is important in order to stay compliant.

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How long do copyrights last?

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