Re: OT: Copyrights and patents (was: Re: The future of computing.)

[rhkramer@gmail.com]

Thanks -- some comments below (I guess I had a brain or consciousness -worm 
(analagous to an earworm) and had to dig deeper).  ;-)

On Friday, September 24, 2021 03:45:28 AM Michael Lange wrote:
> On Thu, 23 Sep 2021 07:22:17 -0400
> rhkramer@gmail.com wrote:
> > Something like that, but doesn't sound quite right (wish I had a better
> > memory).  Previously copyrighted works are coming into the "public
> > domain" year by year, about 95 years after -- oh, maybe it is after the
> > author's death?  Maybe there is an alternate path to copyright
> > expiring?  Not sure how it works if a corporation owns a copyright -- I
> > don't think it is perpetual.
> 
> according to
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries%27_copyright_lengths
> 
> it's typically Life + 70 years in the U.S., the U.K. and the E.U.
> (though, depending on the country, in some cases copyright duration may be
> different); in other countries from a quick glance the range seems to be
> from 0 (Marshall Islands), Life (Kosovo) to Life + 100 years (Mexico),
> with Life + 50 years and Life + 70 years being the most common.

Thanks.  Some more from other Wikipedia articles clarifies some things for me.

from: 

   * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries%27_copyright_lengths]
[List of countries' copyright lengths]] -- 
` <for the US>
Copyright terms based on authors' deaths[a]

Life + 70 years (works published since 1978 or unpublished works)[236] 	

Copyright terms based on publication and creation dates[a] 	

95 years from publication or 120 years from creation whichever is shorter 
(anonymous works, pseudonymous works, or works made for hire, published since 
1978)[237]

95 years from publication for works published 1964–77; 28 (if copyright not 
renewed) or 95 years from publication for works published 1924–63 (Copyrights 
prior to 1925 have expired, not including copyrights on sound recordings fixed 
prior to February 15, 1972, covered only under state laws.)[238] 
'

Thus, a copyright held by a corporation expires in: 95 years from publication 
or 120 years from creation whichever is shorter (I guess maybe it could be 70 
years after the author's death if originally created by an author and then 
sold to a corporation???)

This varies by country and is subjec to the "rule of the shorter term":

   * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_the_shorter_term][Rule of the 
shorter term]]
`
The rule of the shorter term, also called the comparison of terms, is a 
provision in international copyright treaties. The provision allows that 
signatory countries can limit the duration of copyright they grant to foreign 
works under national treatment to no more than the copyright term granted in 
the country of origin of the work.
'

Aside, somewhere else (in Wikipedia) I found that the original term for a 
copyright was 14 years with a possible renewal for an additional 14 years.

Aside, somewhere else (in Wikipedia) I found that the original term for a 
patent was up to 14 years (duration established / varied for each patent) with 
a possible renewal for an additonal 7 years.

My brainworm seems satisfied ;-)