Trump’s NAFTA Revision Could Further Extend Copyright Term (Or Not); Comic Book Resources, August 27, 2018

Eirik Gumeny, Comic Book Resources; Trump’s NAFTA Revision Could Further Extend Copyright Term (Or Not)

"An ambiguous press release from the United States government relating to the North American Free Trade Agreement is causing unexpected confusion for authors and copyright lawyers, as one specific document seems to state that the copyright term may be extended to 75 years. The wording, however, is unclear.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, a fact sheet released today by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative indicated that the “copyright term” — the length of time the creator of a particular work is entitled to certain protective rights — would “extend” to 75 years. Currently, the copyright term is set for the life of the author, plus 70 years."

Beatles rarities being released to beat copyright laws; BBC News, 12/13/13

BBC News; Beatles rarities being released to beat copyright laws: "EU law protects recordings for 70 years, but only if they get an official release. Otherwise, the copyright period lasts 50 years. In the case of The Beatles, that means the master tape for their 1963 debut album Please Please Me is protected until 2033, but the unreleased session tapes for that album are not. If the Beatles chose not to release the recordings before the end of the year, it would mean other record labels could theoretically put them out and profit from them. The band's 1962 debut single, Love Me Do, arguably slipped out of copyright last year, before the EU's copyright extension was signed into law. At least one record company issued a "remastered" version of the song, although that has since been deleted. The copyright law in question only covers the recordings - the songs themselves remain the copyright of the composer for 70 years after their death."

Twain's private wish a copyright conundrum; Sydney Morning Herald, 11/11/10

George Croft and Natalie Hickey, Sydney Morning Herald; Twain's private wish a copyright conundrum:

"Enter another avenue for protection. In a nutshell, if, before the author's death, the work in question hasn't been published, performed, or broadcast, and records of the work haven't been offered for sale, then copyright will subsist for 70 years from the year in which the first of these events takes place.

So, the fact that Twain's autobiography has been under "lock and key" since it was written (under our scenario anyway) means that the clock would start running this year. And his estate would have another 70 years of protection."

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/twains-private-wish-a-copyright-conundrum-20101111-17ow9.html