what happens to a copyrighted work after it has finished its copyright period ?

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https://www.justia.com/intellectual-property/copyright/works-in-the-public-domain

https://www.justia.com/intellectual-property/copyright/works-in-the-public-domain
Works in the Public Domain After Copyrights Legally Expire
Oct 18, 2023Works in the Public Domain After Copyrights Legally Expire Copyright protection lasts only for a limited period. After protection expires, the work enters the public domain. This means that anyone can copy, distribute, or otherwise use the work or part of the work without getting approval.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/302

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/302
17 U.S. Code § 302 – Duration of copyright: Works created on or after …
Under subsection (a) of section 302, a work created on or after the effective date of the revised statute [Jan. 1, 1978] would be protected by statutory copyright from its creation and, with exceptions to be noted below, endures for a term consisting of the life of the author and 50 years after the author’s death.

https://www.copyright.gov / help / faq / faq-index.html

https://www.copyright.gov / help / faq / faq-index.html
Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright, continued
How much of someone else’s work can I use without getting permission? How much do I have to change in order to claim copyright in someone else’s work? Somebody infringed my copyright.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_renewal_in_the_United_States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_renewal_in_the_United_States
Copyright renewal in the United States – Wikipedia
Once the term of copyright protection has ended, the copyrighted work enters the public domain, and can be freely reproduced and incorporated into new works. In the United States, works published before 1928 are all in the public domain under the provisions of the Copyright Act of 1909 and previous law.

https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf

https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf
PDF Circular 15A Duration of Copyright
The duration of copyright in these works is generally computed the same way as for works created on or after January 1, 1978: life plus 70 years or 95 or 120 years, depending on the nature of authorship. However, all works in this category are guaranteed at least 25 years of statutory protection. The law specifies that in no case would …

https://ogc.harvard.edu/pages/copyright-and-fair-use

https://ogc.harvard.edu/pages/copyright-and-fair-use
Copyright and Fair Use | Office of the General Counsel
the nature of the copyrighted work; the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and; the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. These factors are not exclusive but are the primary—and in many cases the only—factors courts examine.

https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/› faq-duration.html

https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/› faq-duration.html
How Long Does Copyright Protection Last?
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 an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its …

https://www.copyright.gov/what-is-copyright

https://www.copyright.gov/what-is-copyright
What is Copyright? | U.S. Copyright Office
Fixed Works A work is fixed when it is captured (either by or under the authority of an author) in a sufficiently permanent medium such that the work can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated for more than a short time. For example, a work is fixed when you write it down or record it. Congress shall have Power . . .

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/determining-length-of-copyright-protection-29483.html

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/determining-length-of-copyright-protection-29483.html
How Long Does Copyright Protection Last? | Nolo
In other words, the copyright for most works will expire and the work will enter the public domain either 95 years after publication or 70 years after the death of the author. But there are special rules for certain types of works, including: works made for hire works with more than one creator ( joint works) published before 1964

https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/faqs/copyright-protection

https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/faqs/copyright-protection
Published By Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center
What role does a copyright notice play? Until March 1, 1989, a published work had to contain a valid copyright notice to receive protection under the copyright laws. But this requirement is no longer in force — works first published after March 1, 1989, need not include a copyright notice to gain protection under the law. lesoutrali bot