On Tue, Sep 24, 2002 at 10:19:32AM -0700, J. Greenlees wrote: > 2001 is the latest date in winxp pro that my wife uses. > unfortunately, that gives them around 49 more years before it becomes > fair game. > ( gotta quit hanging around artists you learn way to much about copyrights ) > > intellectual properties are good for 50 years.
Not quite. Individual works get the lifetime of the creator plus 70 years (the 50 you're thinking about was prior to the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act). Works for hire receive a term of 120 years from creation or 95 years from the date of publication whichever is shorter (again the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act extended this). Microsoft's software would fall under the Works for hire category. Of course the above timing applies to copyrights in the United States. Other countries copyright laws vary. -- Ben Reser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://ben.reser.org Never take no as an answer from someone who isn't authorized to say yes.
