Feb 15 2009
Sonny Bono Act Extends Copyright Terms
The Sonny Bono Term Extension Act, signed into law on Oct. 27, 1998, basically extends copyright protection for an additional 20 years.
In other words, works created and published after Jan. 1, 1978 are now protected under copyright law for the author’s life plus 70 years. If the work was published anonymously, or under an untraceable pseudonym, the work is protected for 95 years from the first year of publication or 120 years from the year it was created, whichever comes first.
For works created and published before Jan. 1, 1978, and still under their original or renewal copyright terms, the copyright is extended for 95 years from the date of the original term. For example, if a work was copyrighted in 1923, the work is still protected by copyright until 2018.
For in-depth information about U.S. Copyright Law you can go directly to the U.S. Copyright Office at http://www.copyright.gov/.
© 2009 Anne Wallingford. All Rights Reserved.
