What is the term of a copyright?
A copyright is a type of intellectual property (IP) law in Pennsylvania that gives the creator of an original work exclusive rights to that work. A copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to authors of original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. The term of copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, such as when the work was created, whether the work was published, and who created the work. In general, the term of a copyright for works created after January 1, 1978, is the life of the author plus 70 years. For works created before this date, the copyright term is 95 years from the date of first publication, or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever expires first. For works that are “made for hire,” that is, works created by an employee in the course of his or her duties, the term of copyright is 95 years from the date of first publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever expires first. For anonymous works, pseudonymous works, and works made for hire, the copyright term is 95 years from the date of first publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever expires first. Overall, the term of a copyright depends on a few key factors. However, in most cases, the term of a copyright in Pennsylvania is the life of the author plus 70 years.
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