Posted by John Wilson on March 20, 2009 at 21:57:35 user hugo.
In Reply to: Re: Oxus books - a bio link posted by allym on March 19, 2009 at 21:01:22:
I doubt if copyright to the Oxus books (or the Swallows and Amazons books) has expired in the United States (provided that copyright had been renewed), as the 1976 Copyright Act in America which applied from 1978 extended copyright to 50 years since the authors death. Previously the copyright period had been from publication and not related to the death of the author, so the law now was similar to British/European law (which is now 70 years since the authors death; and goes to the end of the year, not the exact anniversary of death). With co-authors, is it the last death that is used?.
Copyright has expired in America for books published before 1923, even though they may be copyright in Europe. But the “Sonny Bono” Act of 1998 extended copyright in America to 70 years since the death of the author. There was also an extension of corporate-authored items eg the Disney characters (from 75 years) to 95 years after creation or 120 years since publication whichever is the earlier (hence the term “Mickey Mouse Protection Act” also used about the act).
From the Wikipedia article “United States Copyright Law”.