Length of Copyright

May 28, 2008
Intellectual Property News and Interesting Facts

In order to be copyrighted the idea has to have been put down in material form – that is to say the written word or a recording. An abstract idea cannot be copyrighted.

Unless another party has commissioned the work, it normally remains the property of the creator, and no one may print or use it without the owner’s permission.

It is normally sufficient to place a © with a name and the year at the foot of the article. Copyright for written works remains the property of the owner for 50 years after his / her death, and computer programs for 50 years after they were first made known to the public.