published outside the US and copyright in its home country
works created 120+ years ago (1900) or published 95+ years ago (1925), whichever is earliest.
none.
1978–1 March 1989
no notice, but subsequent registration
or with notice
works created 120+ years ago (1900) or published 95+ years ago (1925), whichever is earliest.
none.
After 1 March 1989
none.
works created 120+ years ago (1900) or published over 95+ years ago (1925), whichever is earliest.
none.
Unpublished works
An unpublished work is one that has never been published in any form, or which was first published after 2003 but created before 1935.
Note for the European Union: If a previously unpublished work is published first time ("editio princeps") later than 70 years after the death of the author, then it is no more public domain but it is granted a copyright for 25 years (Council Directive 93/98/EEC, see here)
Official records, UN documents issued with a UN symbol, and not-for-sale public information materials designed primarily to inform the public about United Nations activities
Note: Foreign works published after 1924 are likely to be still under copyright in the US because of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, even if they briefly entered public domain before the agreement[5].
Laws; regulations; resolutions, decisions and orders of State organs; other documents of a legislative, administrative or judicial nature; and their official translations.
Official works, in particular the texts of treaties, laws and regulations and those of reports or decisions by authorities of any kind, and translations thereof.
The constitution, acts, regulations, official documents (including proclamations, text of speeches, news releases, and other documents prepared by civil servants in the course of carrying out their duties), and their translations and compilations by central or local government agencies.
These tables outline the estimated length of time of copyright per country.[6][7][8] Laws regarding anonymous works, corporate-authored works, or non-literary works vary per country. This is not intended to be used as a legal guideline since it cannot reflect the complexity of the copyright laws in effect at any one time and since copyright laws are changing continuously; this section simply provides a useful summary as part of a more in-depth research.
Country
Copyright length
Albania
life + 70
Algeria
life + 50
Andorra
life + 70
Angola
life + 50
Argentina
life + 70
Armenia
life + 50
Aruba
life + 50
Australia
life + 50 if author died before 1955, otherwise life + 70
first publication + 70 for anonymous or pseudonymous works (only if the author doesn't make their identity known before the expiry)[10]
first publication + 70 for audiovisual and photographic works[11], phonograms and transmission for the broadcasts of broadcasting organizations[12]
texts of treaties or conventions, laws, decrees, regulations, judicial decisions and other official enactments shall be excluded from copyright protection[13]
Brunei
life + 50
Bulgaria
life + 70
Burkina Faso
life + 50
Burundi
life + 50
Cambodia
life + 50
Cameroon
life + 50
Canada
life + 50
Cape Verde
life + 50
Chile
life + 50
China
life + 50
Colombia
life + 80; publication + 80 for collective, anonymous and cinematic works; publication + 70 when its owner is a legal entity or an official body or any institution under government public law.
Costa Rica
life + 70
Côte d'Ivoire
life + 99
Croatia
life + 70 (before 27 of July 1999 span of author rights in Croatia extended 50 years after authors death, after that date Croatia accepted EU laws ;70 years of author rights after authors death, works of anybody who died before 31st of December 1948, or on that day, are in PD.)
Cuba
life + 50
Czech Republic
life + 70
Denmark
Literary and artistic works: life + 70
Photographs (taken 1970-now), sounds recordings and video: 50 years.
Photographs (taken before 1970): 25 years.
Djibouti
life + 25
Dominica
life + 70
Dominican Republic
life + 50
Ecuador
life + 70
Egypt
life + 50
El Salvador
life + 50
Estonia
life + 70
European Union
life + 70
Fiji
life + 50
Finland
life + 70
France
life + 70. For collective works, publication + 70.[14]
Georgia
life + 70
Germany
life + 70
Ghana
life + 70
Greece
life + 70
Guatemala
life + 75
Honduras
life + 75
Hong Kong
life + 50
Hungary
life + 70
Iceland
life + 70
India
life + 60 for literary or musical works or artistic works, publication + 60 for others.[15]
Indonesia
life + 50
Iran
life + 30
Iraq
life + 50 (imposed by occupying provisional authority)
Ireland
life + 70
Israel
life + 70
Italy
life + 70
Jamaica
life + 50
Japan
life + 50 (life + 70 years for motion pictures)
Jordan
life + 50
Kazakhstan
life + 50
Kenya
life + 50
Korea (South)
life + 50 (death before 1963) life + 70 (died in or after 1963)
Kuwait
life + 50
Kyrgyzstan
life + 50
Latvia
life + 70
Lebanon
life + 50
Libya
life + 25, with 50-year minimum (as of 1968; may have changed since)
Liechtenstein
life + 70
Lithuania
life + 70
Luxembourg
life + 70
Macao
life + 50 for known authors; first publication + 50 for anonymous
Madagascar
life + 70
Malaysia
life + 50
Maldives
none
Mali
life + 50
Malta
life + 70
Marshal Islands
none
Mauritius
life + 50
Mexico
life + 100
Moldova
life + 50
Mongolia
life + 50
Montenegro
life + 70
Morocco
for a work created by a known author : life + 70[16]
for a work created anonymously or under a pseudonym[17], and a collective or audiovisual work[18] :
first lawful publication + 70
if no such event occurred within 50 years after the making of the work, making available to the public + 70
if no such events occurred within 50 years after the making of the work, making of the work + 70
Namibia
life + 50
The Netherlands
life + 70
New Zealand
life + 50
Nicaragua
life + 70
Niger
life + 50
Nigeria
Life + 70
Norway
life + 70
Oman
life + 50
Pakistan
life + 50
Palau
life + 50
Panama
life + 50
Papua New Guinea
life + 50
Paraguay
life + 70
Peru
life + 70
Philippines
life + 50
Poland
Life + 70
Qatar
life + 50
Romania
life + 70
Russia
life + 70 (life + 50 for works whose copyright expired before July 28, 2004 1993)[19]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
life + 50
Samoa
Life + 75
Saudi Arabia
life + 50
Serbia
life + 70
Seychelles
life + 25
Singapore
life + 70
Slovakia
life + 70
Slovenia
life + 70
Solomon Islands
life + 50
South Africa
life + 50
Spain
life + 80 (before 1987); life + 70 (after 1987)
Sudan
life + 50
Eswatini
life + 50
Sweden
life + 70
Switzerland
life + 70
Syria
life + 50
Taiwan
life + 50
Tajikistan
life + 50
Tanzania
life + 50
Thailand
life + 50
Togo
life + 50
Tonga
life + 50
Trinidad and Tobago
life + 50
Tunisia
life + 50
Turkey
life + 70
United Arab Emirates
life + 50
United Kingdom
life + 70
United States
expired for works published before 1925; 28 or 95 years for works copyrighted 1925–1963; 95 years for works copyrighted 1964–1977; thereafter life+70.