Copyright protection starts as soon as a work is created.
The duration (length) of copyright is very complex. It depends on various factors, such as the type of work when it was created, whether it was published or unpublished, whether the author is identifiable and the geographical jurisdiction where the law applies.
Once your copyright has expired, a work falls in the public domain, and anyone can use or copy it. Any reproduction of work in the public domain may be freshly subject to copyright.
Since copyright law is territorial, one work may be in the public domain in one country but not another. In the UK, the copyright expires as follows:
| Work type | Expiration | ||
| Literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works | 70 years after the death of the author | ||
| Film | 70 years after the death of the last of the following persons: director; author of the screenplay; author of the dialogue (if different); composer of the music specially created for the film | ||
| Sound recording | 50 years from the year in which the recording was made or, if published, 70 years from publication | ||
| Broadcasts | 50 years from transmission | ||
| Typographical arrangements | 25 years from publication |
The author takes no responsibility for the content of this page, which is not intended as binding legal advice. The views are about copyright in the UK Higher Education sector context.