Adopted: August 16, 2000

Pictures, Graphics, and Sculptures (e.g., photographs, cartoons, maps)
Architectural Works (e.g., blueprints)
Music and Lyrics
Literary Works (e.g., books, newspapers, magazines, cartoons, trade journals, newsletters)
Dramatic Works (e.g., plays, screenplays)
Pantomimes and Choreographic Works
Audiovisual Works (e.g., videotapes)
Sound Recordings (e.g., compact discs, cassette tapes, phonographic records)

Please note that ownership of a book, manuscript, painting, photograph, computer software program, or a copy or such items does not give the possessor of these items the right to copy them.

The Life of a Copyright

Following are three formulas provided by the Copyright Office to help determine the term of copyright protection:

Works created or published on or after January 1, 1978 are protected during the life of the author, plus 75 years after the author's death.

For works published before January 1, 1978, the life of the copyright is 28 years, with an option to renew for an additional 67 years for a total life span of 95 years.  Information about renewed copyrights is available from the Copyright Office.

For works made for hire, and for anonymous and pseudonymous works, the duration of the copyright is 120 years from creation or 95 years from publication.