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- According to the Copyright Act of 1790, copyright lasted only 14 years and another 14 years after copyright renewal.
- The Copyright Act of 1909 states that copyright lasted 28 years and another 28 years upon copyright renewal.
- The Copyright Act of 1976 states that copyright lasted for the life of the author plus 50 years.
- The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 states that copyright lasts the life of the author plus 70 years which is what we know today of copyright
For works published after 1977, the copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years.
However, if the work is a work for hire (that is, the work is done in the course of employment or has been specifically commissioned) or is published anonymously or under a pseudonym, the copyright lasts between 95 and 120 years, depending on the date the work is published.
