Copyright

According to the U.S. Copyright Office:

"The term of copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, including whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years."

📌 For anonymous, pseudonymous, or corporate works, copyright typically lasts 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.

🔗 Learn more from the U.S. Copyright Office

💡 Tip: If you're unsure how old a work is or when it was published, start by checking the copyright page of a book or looking up publication dates in WorldCat or other library databases.

This free tool can help you estimate whether a work is still under copyright protection. It walks you through a short set of questions and shows the likely duration based on U.S. law.

💡 Tip: This is especially helpful for faculty working with older materials—like classic literature, government documents, or historical publications.

If you want to dive into the legal language, copyright duration is governed by the following sections of U.S. Code: 17 U.S.C. § 301–305

💡 Tip: Legal code can be complex, so if you're not sure how it applies, contact the Library. We can help interpret the implications for classroom use.