Kaneda Copyright Agency {top}
Copyright FAQ {top}
{FAQ} How long do copyrights last?
Copyrights
have a time limit. The duration of copyrights (economic rights) is the life of
the author plus 70 years after the author’s death. If the work is a joint work
with two or more authors, the duration lasts for 70 years after the last
surviving author’s death.
After
the time limit, the work is said to be “in the public domain” because the term
of copyright protection has expired and the work no longer has its right owner.
Once a work has been in the public domain, the general public can use or
exploit the work without any authorization (permission) from the former right
owner.
It
should be noted that there are some exceptions to this basic duration of
protection. For example, as for the duration of protection for a
cinematographic work, the copyright lasts for 70 years after the cinematographic
work is made public, and if the cinematographic work has not been made public
within the 70 years of its creation, the copyright lasts for 70 years after the
creation of the cinematographic work.