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The Librarian’s Copyright Companion
| 1 January 1978–1 March 1989 | Published with copyright notice by a non-U.S. citizen in a country that was party to the Universal Copyright Convention (UCC) | 70 years after the death of the author, or if work of corporate authorship, 95 years from publication |
| After 1 March 1989 | Published in a country that is a Signatory to the Berne Convention | 70 years after the death of the author, or if work of corporate authorship, 95 years from publication |
| After 1 March 1989 | Published in a country with which the United States does not have copyright relations under a treaty | In the public domain |
| Sound Recordings (Note: The following information applies only to the sound recording itself, and not to any copyrights in underlying compositions or texts) | ||
| Unpublished Sound Recordings, Domestic and Foreign | ||
| Date of Fixation/Publication | Conditions | What was in the public domain in the U.S. as of 1 January 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Prior to 15 Feb. 1972 | Indeterminate | Subject to state common law protection. Enters the public domain on 15 Feb. 2067 |
| After 15 Feb. 1972 | Life of the author + 70 years. For unpublished anonymous and pseudonymous works and works made for hire (corporate authorship), 120 years from the date of fixation | Nothing. The soonest anything enters the public domain is 15 Feb. 2067 |
| Unpublished works when the death date of the author is not known | 120 years from date of creation | Works created before 1892 |
| Sound Recordings Published in the United States | ||
| Fixed prior to 15 Feb. 1972 | None | Subject to state statutory and/or common law protection. Fully enters the public domain on 15 Feb. 2067 |
| 15 Feb. 1972 to 1978 | Published without notice (i.e., phonorecord symbol, year of publication, and name of copyright owner) | In the public domain |
| 15 Feb. 1972 to 1978 | Published with notice | 95 years from publication. 2068 at the earliest |
