Wikipedia:Copyright situations by country
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following list gives the current copyright situation in various countries, briefly describing which works are considered in the public domain in each country. This is useful for determining whether a work can be freely used in Wikipedia or not. Please see Wikipedia:Public domain for more information on the "public domain".
Keep in mind that any work first published before 1923 is considered in the public domain in the United States, regardless of the work's copyright status in its country of origin. Also, note that countries may change their copyright laws at any time, and these laws may or may not be retroactive to works previously in the public domain. Some countries may follow the rule of the shorter term for foreign works (notably the EU and Japan); other may not (e.g. the U.S.). And in general, a work may be in the public domain in one country but still be copyrighted in other countries.
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[edit] Abbreviations used
- PD stands for public domain.
- FoP stands for freedom of panorama.
- No treaty indicates that the U.S. does not have a copyright treaty with this country, so works created by residents of this country are not protected by copyright in the U.S.
- Life+X means that the work is in the public domain if the author died more than X years before the end of the current year.
- Treaty:Life+X means that according to a treaty the country has signed, it has agreed to extend its copyright protection to Life+X, but it has not yet done so.
- Creation+X means that copyright expires X years after the work was created.
- Published+X means that copyright expires X years after the work was first published.
For some special cases, we also use the following abbreviations:
- Post(X):Published+Y means that works first published posthumously within X years after the death of the (last surviving) author are protected for Y years since the publication.
- Rehab+X means that works of authors who have been posthumously rehabilitated are copyrighted for X years since the rehabilitation (not the death of the author). This is the case in some successor countries of the former USSR, notably Russia.
- Unpublished+X means that if a previously unpublished work is published for the first time after its original copyright had expired, the publisher is granted the exclusive publication right for a period of X years since that eventual first publication. This is the case in the EU, but also in some successor countries of the USSR.
See also Commons:Licensing.
[edit] List
- Afghanistan: Before 2002, No treaty. After 2002, unknown.
- Albania: Life+50
- Algeria: For photos and films, Published+50[1] For other works, Life+50
- Andorra: Life+70
- Angola: Life+50
- Argentina: For photos, Creation+25 or Published+20, whichever is later.[2] For non-photos, Life+50.[3] For film-screenshots, Life+50 for the last surviving person among script-writers, producers, and directors.[4] For anonymous or corporate works, Published+50.[5] In addition, all images from the Presidency of Argentina web site are PD.[6]
- Armenia: Life+50[7] and Post(50):Published+50.[8]
- Australia: For all government-produced works, Creation+50.[9] For others, currently Life+70 is applied, but Life+50 was applied before 1957, so works by an author who died before 1957 are PD.[10] Photographs are treated separately; those taken before 1955 are in the public domain.[11] FoP for objects permanently located in public (including public museums).[12]
- Austria: Life+70[13] FoP for objects permanently located in public, including some interior spaces.[14]
- Azerbaijan: Life+50[8] and Post(30):Published+50[15].
- Bahrain: Life+50
- Bangladesh: Life+50
- Barbados: Life+50
- Belarus: Life+50[8][16]
- Belgium: Life+70[13]
- Belize: Life+50
- Benin: Life+50
- Bhutan: No treaty
- Bolivia: Life+50. FoP for objects permanently located in a public.[17]
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Life+70
- Brazil: Life+70, or Publication+70 for anonymous works and for photographs.
- Brunei: Life+50
- Bulgaria: Life+50
- Burkina Faso: Life+50
- Burundi: Life+50
- Cambodia: Life+50
- Canada: Life+50. Photographs created before 1949 are in the public domain no matter when the photographer died.
- Chile: Life+50 (Treaty:Life+70)
- China: Life+50. Photographs instead go into the public domain 50 years after their creation. (See {{PD-China}}.)
- Colombia: Life+80. FoP for objects permanently located in a public.[17]
- Costa Rica: Life+70
- Cote d'Ivoire: Life+99
- Croatia: Life+70
- Cuba: Life+50; photographs: Published+25; Corporate ownership: perpetual copyright![18]
- Cyprus: Life+50 (Treaty:Life+70)[13]
- Czech Republic: Life+70[13]. FoP for objects permanently located in a public.[17]
- Denmark: Life+70.[13]
- Djibouti: Life+25. (Treaty:Life+50)
- Ecuador: Life+70. FoP for objects permanently located in a public.[17]
- Egypt: Life+50
- El Salvador: Life+50
- Estonia: Life+70[13][8][19]
- Ethiopia: No treaty. Ethiopia only recognizes copyright during the lifetime of the creator (Life+0).
- Fiji: Life+50
- Finland: Life+70[13]
- France: Life+70[13] and Unpublished+25
- Germany: Life+70,[13] Unpublished+25. FoP for objects permanently located in public that can be photographed from public grounds.[20]
- Ghana: Life+50
- Georgia: Life+70[8] Special case: Unpublished+25.[21]
- Greece: Life+70[13]
- Guatemala: Life+75
- Hong Kong: Life+50
- Hungary: Life+70.[13] FoP for objects permanently located in public.[22]
- Iceland: Life+50
- India: Life+60 Photographs instead go into the public domain 60 years after their first publication.
- Indonesia: Life+50
- Iraq: Before 2004, No treaty. After 2004, unknown. (See {{Iraqcopyright}}.)
- Iran: No treaty
- Ireland: Life+70[13], Unpublished+25. FoP for objects permanently located in public (including public museums).[23]
- Israel: Life+70
- Italy: Life+50 (Treaty:Life+70)[13]
- Japan: Life+50
- Jordan: Life+50
- Kazakhstan: Life+50[8]Special cases: Post(30):Published+50, Rehab+50.[24]
- Kenya: Life+50
- Kuwait: Life+50
- Kyrgyzstan: Life+50.[8] The law is retroactive for a period of 50 years since publication or creation of a work. Special case: Post(50):Published+50. [25]
- Latvia: Life+70.[8][13]The law is non-retroactive, i.e., applies only to works whose copyright had not yet expired in 2003. Special case: Unpublished+25[26]
- Lebanon: Life+50
- Libya: Life+25
- Liechtenstein: Life+70
- Lithuania: Life+70[8][13], non-retroactive. Special case: Unpublished+25.[27]
- Luxembourg: Life+70[13]
- Madagascar: Life+70
- Malawi: Life+50
- Malaysia: Life+50
- Malta: Life+70[13]
- Mexico: Life+100
- Moldova: Life+50;[8] Special cases: Post(30):Published+50; audiovisual works are protected for 50 years since creation or publication, if any.[28]
- Mongolia: Life+50
- Morocco: Life+50
- Namibia: Life+50
- Nepal: No treaty
- Netherlands: Life+70[13], Unpublished+25
- New Zealand: Life+50. FoP for objects permanently located in public (including public museums).[29]
- Niger: Life+50
- Nigeria: Life+70
- Norway: Life+70
- Oman: Life+50
- Pakistan: Life+50 Photographs instead go into the public domain 50 years after their creation. (See {{PD-Pakistan}}.)
- Panama: Life+50
- Papua New Guinea: Life+50
- Paraguay: Life+70, but if a work was created in Paraguay and was first published without a copyright notice, it is in the public domain.
- Peru: Life+70. FoP for objects permanently located in a public.[17]
- Philippines: Life+50, but this is contested. (See {{PD-Philippines}}.)
- Poland: Life+70[13], but photographs published prior to May 23, 1994 without a clear copyright notice are in the public domain. (See {{PD-Poland}}.)
- Portugal: Life+70.[13] FoP for objects permanently located in public.[30]
- Qatar: Life+50
- Romania: Life+70
- Russia: Life+70.[8] Retroactive for a period of 50 years. Special cases: Post(∞):Published+70, Rehab+70; for authors who fought in World War II, the copyright term is extended by 4 years.[31]
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Life+50
- Samoa: Life+75
- San Marino: No treaty
- Saudi Arabia: Life+50
- Serbia and Montenegro: Life+50
- Seychelles: Probably Life+25, but this is unclear.
- Singapore: Life+50 (Treaty:Life+70)
- Slovakia: Life+70.[13] FoP for objects permanently located in public.[32]
- Slovenia: Life+70[13]
- Solomon Islands: Life+50
- South Africa: Life+50
- South Korea: Life+50
- Spain: Life+70[13]
- Sudan: Life+25 (Treaty:Life+50)
- Sweden: Life+70,[13] but photographs taken before 1 January 1969 are no longer protected. All photographs, sound recordings, film footage and radio or TV broadcasts taken or transmitted since 1 January 1969 are protected for 50 years instead of "life+70". FoP for objects permanently located in public.[33]
- Switzerland: Life+70. FoP for objects permanently located in public[34]
- Syria: Life+50
- Taiwan: Life+50 Photographs instead go into the public domain 50 years after their creation. (See {{PD-China}}.)
- Tajikistan: unknown[8]
- Tanzania: Life+50
- Thailand: Life+50
- Togo: Life+50
- Tonga: Life+50
- Trinidad and Tobago: Life+50
- Tunisia: Life+50
- Turkey: Life+70
- Turkmenistan: unknown[8]
- Ukraine: Life+70,[8] retroactive for a period of 50 years. Special cases: Rehab+70, Post(30):Published+70, Unpublished+25.[35]
- United Arab Emirates: Life+50
- United Kingdom: Life+70[13] but photographs protected by Crown copyright and taken before 1 June 1957 have copyright expire 50 years from creation. [3][4] Special case: Unpublished+25. FoP for objects permanently located in public (including public museums).[36]
- United States: complex. FoP only covers architecture.[37]
- Uruguay: Life+50, but if a work was created in Uruguay and was first published without a copyright notice, it is in the public domain.
- Uzbekistan: Life+50;[8][38]
- Venezuela: Life+60
- Vietnam: Life+50 Photographs instead go into the public domain 50 years after their creation.
- Yemen: Apparently No treaty, although this is uncertain.
- Zambia: Life+50
- Zimbabwe: Life+50
[edit] Sources
- Copyright Durations from Bromberg and Sunstein, LLP
- How Can I Tell Whether a Book Can Go Online? from the Online Books Page
[edit] References
- ^ This is stated at Commons:Commons:Licensing, but the reference given there is a dead link.
- ^ Commons:Template:PD-AR-Photo, which references Argentina Law 11.723, Article 34 and Berne Convention Article 7 (4)
- ^ Argentina Law 11.723, ibid.
- ^ Commons:Template:PD-AR-Movie, which references 11.723, ibid.
- ^ Commons:Template:PD-AR-Anonymous, which references 11.723, ibid.
- ^ Commons:Template:CC-AR-Presidency, which references 11.723, ibid.
- ^ The retroactive law of January 12, 2000 supersedes the previous law of May 27, 1996.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o For most successor states of the former USSR and the three Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, up-to-date English transcriptions of the current copyright laws are available at CIPR.
- ^ Commons:Commons:Licensing references [1].
- ^ Australian copyright law and Copyright expiration in Australia reference information sheet numbered G023.
- ^ Copyright expiration in Australia references information sheet numbered G011.
- ^ Commons:Commons:Freedom of Panorama references Australian copyright act and A note on the copyright law in Australia that concerns photographers (PDF).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Copyright law of the European Union and Directive harmonizing the term of copyright protection cite OJ no. L290 of 24 November 1993, pp. 9–13, and list the ratification for each country. This is retroactive.
- ^ Commons:Commons:Freedom of panorama references Austrian copyright law, §54.
- ^ Azerbaijani law from June 5, 1996
- ^ Belorussian law from May 16, 1996; with amendments of August 11, 1998 and January 4, 2003. Commons:Commons:Licensing references [2].
- ^ a b c d e Commons:Commons:Freedom of panorama references Decision 351, Article 22, of the Andean Community of Nations.
- ^ Ley sobre Derecho de Autor; Ley 14, December 28, 1977, last modified 1994.
- ^ Estonian law from December 12, 1992, amended numerous times, lastly November 18, 2002.
- ^ Panoramafreiheit references §59 UrhG (Germany). See also Commons:Commons:Freedom of panorama.
- ^ Retroactive law from September 1999.
- ^ Commons:Commons:Freedom of panorama references article 68 of the Hungarian copyright law (1999/LXXVI).
- ^ Commons:Commons:Freedom of Panorama references Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000, Chapter 6, §93.
- ^ Kazakhstani law of June 10, 1996.
- ^ This law of January 1998, last amended June 29, 2001.
- ^ Law of March 6, 2003; previous law was from 1993.
- ^ Lithuanian law of March 5, 2003.
- ^ Moldovan law of November 23, 1994, amended July 25, 2002.
- ^ Commons:Commons:Freedom of Panorama references §73 of the Copyright Act of 1994 of New Zealand.
- ^ Commons:Commons:Freedom of Panorama references Portuguese Copyright Law §68 and §75(2)q.
- ^ Russian law of July 1993, amended 2004.
- ^ Commons:Commons:Freedom of Panorama references Slovak copyright law and an English translation.
- ^ Commons:Commons:Freedom of Panorama references The Swedish copyright act and a translation.
- ^ Panoramafreiheit references §27 URG (Switzerland), and Commons:Commons:Freedom of panorama references Merkblatt zur Schweizer Rechtslage (PDF).
- ^ Ukrainian law of August 2001
- ^ Panoramafreiheit and Commons:Commons:Freedom of panorama reference Advertising and marketing art: Copyright confusion, section 62 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and Public Art online on Section 62.
- ^ Panoramafreiheit references 17 USC 120(a), Copyright law, 2nd ed., and The Law for Photographers: Do I Need Permission?. See also Commons:Commons:Freedom of panorama.
- ^ Uzbekistani law from August 30, 1996, amended December 15, 2000.
