Week 5 Assignment
If a protected work's first year in the public domain in 2026, when was its last day of
copyright protection?
(3 points total)
All copyright protection ends on the 31st of the prior year, so in this case, the last
date of copyright protection is December 31, 2025.
If Pixar Corp. created a film in January of 2010 and released the film (
i.e.,
published
the film) on December 31st of 2011, when is the film's first day in the public
domain?
(3 points total)
By adding 95 years to when the film was released, we get 2106. By adding 120
years to when the film was created in 2010, we get 2130. The copyright will expire
on December 31, 2106 because it is the soonest date.
When is the final year of the copyright term for a work published with proper notice
in 1973 and registered under the 1909 Copyright Act?
(3 points total)
The final year would be 2068. We get this by adding 28 from the first term with 67
from the automatic renewal term to get 95 years. 95 years after 1973 is 2068.
When is the final year of the copyright term for a sound recording published
without proper notice in 1980?
(1 point total)
Since the proper notice requirement was removed in 1989, the rule that proper
notice is needed still applies to this sound recording. Only 28 years of protection is
given, so the final year of the copyright term would be 2008.
