Which statement about copyright duration is correct?

Which statement about copyright duration is correct?

• A. The life of the author plus 70 years
• B. 70 years
• C. The life of the author
• D. Copyrights last forever

Answer: (A)

Copyright duration is measured from the author’s life and extends for a fixed period after death. For works created by individuals, the standard term is the life of the author plus 70 years. This means the author’s lifetime is followed by seven more decades of protection, after which the work enters the public domain. That makes the statement of life of the author plus 70 years the best answer because it aligns with the common rule used in many jurisdictions, including the US, for individual authors. Saying only 70 years misses the fact that protection starts at birth and continues after death, and saying the author’s life alone isn’t the full duration endpoint. The notion that rights last forever is incorrect, as copyrights eventually expire and works become public domain.

Copyright duration is measured from the author’s life and extends for a fixed period after death. For works created by individuals, the standard term is the life of the author plus 70 years. This means the author’s lifetime is followed by seven more decades of protection, after which the work enters the public domain. That makes the statement of life of the author plus 70 years the best answer because it aligns with the common rule used in many jurisdictions, including the US, for individual authors.

Saying only 70 years misses the fact that protection starts at birth and continues after death, and saying the author’s life alone isn’t the full duration endpoint. The notion that rights last forever is incorrect, as copyrights eventually expire and works become public domain.