As general rule, moral copyrights are unlimited in time and, therefore, are inalienable and imprescriptible. With respect to economic copyrights, copyright protection lasts for a term of 70 years, counted as of January 1 of the first year after the death of the author, as well as through the life of the author.

In the case of works in collaboration, copyright expires 70 years after the death of the last surviving author. As per collective works or works originally assigned to a corporate person, copyright expires 70 years from the date of the first licit publication or disclosure, except if the individuals who create it were identified in the version of the work available to the public.

For an anonymous work, or work that was legally published or disclosed without identifying the respective author, protection is for 70 years after publication or disclosure.

Please note that, with respect to applied arts and photographic works, economic copyrights protection lasts for a term of 45 years, counted as of January 1 of the first year after the death of the author.

Economic copyrights related to a broadcaster last up to 35th calendar year after the broadcast.

The general rule is that copyright protection lasts for a term of 70 years, counted as of January 1 of the first year after the death of the author, as well as through the life of the author.

In the case of work done through cooperation, the 70-year term is computed from the death of the last person who participated in the joint authorship of the work involved.

In the case of posthumous works, the 70-year term is computed from the death of the author.

The duration of protection of anonymous works whose copyright belongs to institutions, corporations or legal entities is 50 years from the date of publication of the work.

Special rules on copyright duration apply to specific types of copyrightable works, such as photographs and cinematographic works.

For original works that are published during the author's lifetime, copyright protection lasts for 70 years after the death of the author. For original works that are not published during the lifetime of the author, the copyright protection lasts for 70 years from the date of first publication.

For subject matter other than works, the duration of the protection depends on the type of work.

For television and sound broadcasts, copyright lasts for 50 years after the expiration of the calendar year in which the broadcast was made, and for published editions, 25 years after the expiration of the calendar year in which the edition was first published. For sound recordings and cinematograph film, copyright lasts 70 years after the end of the calendar year in which the recording or film is first published.

In general, the duration of copyright protection is 70 years after the author's death. There are specific regulations for:

• Film works, where the duration of the right is 70 years after the latest death of the following persons: the main director, the author of the script, the author of the dialogues, and the author of musical works made specifically for the film
• Related rights of the performers and presenters, where the duration of the right is 50 years after the presentation or, if the presentation was recorded and published or publicly reproduced, within this deadline, 70 years after the publication or reproduction
• Photographs which are not subject to copyright, where the duration of the right is 50 years after the making of the photography or, if published, 50 years after publication
• Rights of the producer of audio media, where the duration of the right is 70 years after the publication or 50 years after the recording if not published within this period
• Radio broadcasts, where the duration of the right is 50 years after the broadcast
• Databases not subject to copyright, where the duration of the right is 15 years after the finalization of the database or, if published, 15 years after the publication

Renewal of rights provided by the Copyright Act is not possible.

Generally, the duration of copyright in an author's work is the author's life, plus 70 years after the author's death. There are variations of this duration depending on the type of the protected work (eg, co-authored work or if the author is unknown).

In general, economic rights in copyrighted works remain valid for 70 years counted from January 1 of the year following the year of the author's death.

For software, protection of the copyrights remains valid for 50 years counted from January 1 of the year following the year of the software's publication or, if unpublished, of its creation.

Copyright in works of authorship lasts for the life of the author, the remainder of the calendar year in ‎which the author dies and a period of 70 years from that year end. Canada’s copyright laws changed ‎in December 2022 to extend that period from 50 years to 70 years; however, the extension ‎does not apply to works that were already in the public domain as of December 31, 2021.‎

The duration of the copyright term can vary based on authorship.

Where the author of the work is unknown, copyright in the work subsists until the end of 75 years following the end of the calendar year in which the work is made. However, if the work is published before the copyright expires, the copyright continues until the earlier of the end of 75 years following the end of the calendar year in which the 1st publication occurs and 100 years following the end of the calendar year in which the work was made.

Where there are 2 or more authors, copyright protection extends until the death of the last known author, the remainder of the calendar year of the author’s death plus an additional 70-year period.

Specific provisions as to the term of protection also apply to certain non-dramatic cinematographic works, as well as to subject-matter other than works, including performers’ performances, sound records, and communication signals.

A copyright term cannot be extended or renewed.

Protection of the right is granted for the author's entire life, plus 70 years as of the date of the author's death. In the case of computer programs, protection is granted for 70 years from the date of the first publication of the program if it was designed by an employee in the course of his/her work for a legal person.

The duration of copyright protection differs according to different types of rights.

The right of authorship, the right of revision and the right of integrity, which are moral rights shall continue in perpetuity.

For other types of rights, such as the right of publication, right of reproduction and right of performance shall be protected for 50 years, expiring on December 31 of the 50th year after the death of the author; or, if the author is not a natural person, the right expires on December 31 of the 50th year after first publication of the work. However, the work will no longer be protected if it is not published within 50 years after its completion.

Copyrights last for the lifetime of the author plus 80 years from the date of the author's death. If the work is co-authored, the 80-year period will begin from the date on which the last author dies.

• If the rights are assigned, the protection of the acquirers lasts for the life of the author plus 25 years. The author and the acquirer may also agree to a different term, but such agreed term may not be longer than 80 years. For its part, the protection for the author’s heirs, which receive them by means of a succession, will last for the 80 year-term.
• If the author does not have heirs, once they die, the work will be deemed in the public domain.
• When the holder of the right is a legal or public entity, protection will last 30 years from its publication.

Copyright protection for economic rights lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work or a pseudonymous work, the copyright lasts for a term of 70 years from the year of its first publication. The moral rights expire with the death of the author (but post-mortem protection is available to a certain extent for relatives and associations of authors).

Copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, the copyright lasts for 70 years from the year of its publication or, if it has not been published, 70 years from its creation.

In general, the copyright protection of neighboring rights lasts for 50 years, but the duration runs from various dates depending on the neighboring right in question.

Copyright protection lasts for 70 years after the death of the creator.

For works with a joint copyright, the term of 70 years is calculated from the death of the last surviving creator.

The Copyrights Act also protects neighboring rights of performing artists, producers, photographers, certain media organizations and databases. Neighboring right protection also covers those literary or artistic works, which are not original enough to be covered by copyright (eg, generic photographs). In most cases, the protection term for neighboring rights is 50 years from the publication.

The economic rights of the author last for 70 years after their death. The 70 years are calculated from January 1 of the civil year following the death of the author. The date of death of the last contributor serves as the reference point for the 70-year post mortem auctoris period for collaborative works. Moral rights are personal, perpetual, inalienable and not subject to statutes of limitations.

Copyright protection lasts for 70 years after the author's death.

If copyright is owned by joint authors, it shall expire 70 years after the death of the last surviving author.

In the case of anonymous and pseudonymous works, copyright shall expire 70 years after publication. However, it shall expire 70 years after creation of the work if the work has not been published within that time limit.

The time limits specified above shall begin at the end of the calendar year in which the event that determines the beginning of the time limit has occurred.

Different protection periods apply to performers and producers of video recordings or films.

In general, the duration of copyright in literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works is the life of the author plus 50 years. If the author of the work is anonymous, the duration is 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was first made or, if during that period the work is made available to the public, 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which it was first made available.

Copyright generally lasts during the life of the author and for 70 years after the date of death of the author. The duration of protection for related rights is usually 50 years, although in certain works (eg, sound recordings), the term lasts for 70 years.  The duration for protection regarding rights in films is 50 years.

Copyright in any literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work (including photographs) published within the lifetime of the author subsists for a period of 60 years from the year following the year in which the author dies. Copyright in works published anonymously or pseudonymously subsists for 60 years from the year following the year in which it was first published, provided that, if the identity of the author is established before this period, copyright will subsist until 60 years from the beginning of the calendar year following the year in which the author dies.

Copyright subsists in works of international organizations, public undertakings, government works, cinematographs and sound recordings for a period of 60 years from the beginning of the calendar year following the year in which the particular work was published.

The copyright protection for moral rights of the creator or a copyright holder have a perpetual term.

The copyright protection for economic rights on written works, choreographic works, forms of art, music, architecture, performances, discourse, educational and scientific visual aids and maps are valid for the life of the creator plus 70 years after the creator's death commencing from January 1 of the subsequent year. If the creator or copyrights holder of the foregoing creation is a legal entity, the copyright protection is valid for 50 years after the first publication.

The copyright protection for economic rights on photographic works, portraits, cinematographic works, video games, computer programs, typographical writing, translations, transformation or modification of traditional cultural expression, compilations of works or data and compilation of traditional cultural expression to the extent that such compilation is the original version are valid for 50 years after the first publication.

The copyright protection for economic rights on applied art is valid for 25 years after the first publication.

The copyright protection for economic rights for performers is valid for 50 years after the first performance is fixed in phonograms, for producer phonograms is valid for 50 years after the phonogram is fixed, and for broadcasts is valid for 20 years after the work is first broadcast.

There are different periods of protection for works under Irish copyright law, depending on the nature of the work.

For literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works or an original database, copyright will expire 70 years after the death of the author. If the musical work with lyrics is co-written, then copyright will expire on the death of the last author. The period of copyright protection applies regardless of the date on which these works were first made available to the public. However:

• For works that are computer generated, copyright will expire 70 years after the work is first lawfully made available to the public
• For cable programs, copyright will expire 50 years after the cable program was first lawfully included in a cable program service
• For typographical arrangements of a published edition, copyright will expire 50 years after the date on which it was first lawfully made available to the public and
• For broadcast or sound recordings, copyright will expire 50 years after the date on which it was first lawfully made available to the public

There are specific provisions in relation to the duration of copyright in relation to films. Copyright in a film will expire 70 years after the last of the following people dies:

• The director;
• The author of the music specifically composed for use in the film; and
• The author of the screenplay or dialogue.

Section 38 of the Copyright Act sets the term at the life of the author plus 70 years after their death, subject to certain exceptions. In the case of a joint work, copyright subsists throughout the life of its longest surviving joint author plus 70 years after their death.

Sound recordings are protected for 70 years from creation or, if published within 2 years of creation, for 70 years from the publication date. Where an insufficient number of copies is made available to the public, the record will be protected for 50 years from creation or publication, respectively.

According to Section 41A of the Copyright Act, fonts are protected under copyright for a term of 70 years following the  publication of the font.

Copyright protection is automatic and originates from the mere creation of the copyrightable work.

The protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years, starting from the first calendar year after the death of the author.

In the case of joint works and dramatic-musical and choreographic works and pantomimes, the duration¹ of economic rights are determined based on the life of the last-surviving co-author.

In case of cinematographic works, the term is calculated by taking into consideration the last-surviving person among the director, the screenplay writers and the author of the music if it is specifically created for the film. In case of anonymous or pseudonymous works, the duration is 70 years from publication, unless the author reveals their identity prior to expiration of such term.

In case of collective works, the duration² of economic rights for each part lasts until 70 years after the death of each collaborator, while the economic rights on the work in its completeness starts from the date of its first publication as a whole.

With regard to neighboring rights, phonographic producers' rights last 50 years from the fixation of the phonogram. However, Legislative Decree No. 22/2014 (implementing the EU Directive 2011/77/EU of September 27, 2011) provides that, should the phonogram be lawfully published or communicated to the public, the protection would be extended to 70 years from the date of its first lawful publication or communication to the public.

Performers' rights last for 50 years from the time of performance or, if a fixation of the performance is published or communicated to the public during that time, from the first publication or communication to the public, whichever is earlier.

Software is protected as copyrighted work; the Italian Copyright Law provides for some specific provisions in relation to this type of work.

Databases may be protected as copyrighted works in case they represent creative works resulting from the intellectual activity of the author, with consequent application of the relevant provisions on copyright. Should the database lack such characteristics, the creator of the database would be granted a sui generis right against full reproduction or material extraction of content lasting 15 years from January of the year subsequent to its completion or publication.

Moral rights, as described above, last forever and never expire. Upon the death of the author, the rights may be enforced by the author's heir(s). Furthermore, moral rights cannot be waived or transferred.

^[1] _{Pursuant to Section 10 of the Italian Copyright Law a "joint work" is a work created as a result of the indistinguishable and non-severable contributions of different persons.}

^[2] _{Pursuant to Section 3 of the Italian Copyright Law a collective work is a work created with the contribution of different authors when each contribution can easily be distinguished and severed (by way of, for example, encyclopedias, dictionaries, anthologies, newspapers and magazines).}

Copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. Some special calculations are applicable for copyrightable works made before or during the Second World War.

For an anonymous work or a pseudonymous work, the copyright lasts for a term of 70 years from its first publication, or a term of 70 years from the death of the author if the author is known, whichever expires first.

For a work owned by an entity (eg, work made for hire), the copyright lasts for a term of 70 years from the work's first publication. If it is not made public within the 70-year term, the copyright lasts for 70 years after the creation.

If a work is a movie, its copyright endures for a term of 70 years from its first publication. If the movie is not made public, the copyright lasts for 70 years after the creation of the movie.

The duration of an author's right is the author's life plus 70 years after their death.

Moral rights are perpetual; economic rights last for the life of the author plus an additional 100 years; although, when the work belongs to 2 or more co-authors, the 100 years will be counted from the death of the last co-author.

The copyright shall expire 70 years after January 1 of the year following the year of the death of the author. The duration of the copyright belonging jointly to 2 or more persons in their capacity as co-authors of a work shall be calculated from January 1 of the year following the year of the death of the last surviving co-author. If the author is unknown or is not a natural person, the copyright expires 70 years after January 1 of the year following the year of first publication of the work.

Copyright protection in a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work generally lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 50 years. Where the work is of unknown authorship, the copyright expires at the end of the period of 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was first made available to the public by an authorized act.

For sound recordings and films, the copyright expires 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made, or if it is made available to the public by an authorized act before the end of this period, then 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which it was made available. Copyright in communication work expires 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was first communicated to the public.

Copyright in a typographical arrangement of a published edition expires 25 years after the end of the calendar year in which the edition was first published.

Crown copyright generally lasts for 100 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work is made.

Copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, the copyright lasts for 70 years from the year of its publication or, if it has not been published, 70 years from its creation. In general, the copyright protection of neighboring rights lasts for 50 years, but the duration runs from various dates depending on the neighboring right in question.

Moral rights are perpetual; economic rights last for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years.

The term of copyright shall last for the lifetime of the author or creator, and for an additional 50 years after their death. Under amendments introduced in 2012 in Republic Act No. 10372, the moral rights of an author or creator to attribution lasts during of the lifetime of the author or creator, and in perpetuity after their death. For the right to make alterations; withhold the work from publication; object to any distortion, mutilation or medication or derogation; or restrain the use of their name with respect to any work not of their creation or distorted version of work, the duration is coterminous with the economic rights.

The person or persons to be charged with the posthumous enforcement of these rights shall be named in a written instrument, which shall be filed with the National Library. In default of such person or persons, such enforcement shall devolve upon either the author’s heirs, and in default of the heirs, the Director of the National Library.

As a general rule, the duration of economic copyright protection is 70 years from the death of the author. If the copyrights are owned by joint authors, the 70-year period lapses with the death of the last surviving co-author.

However, if the author of the work is unknown, the 70-year period starts from the date of the first dissemination of the work, unless a pseudonym does not raise any doubts as to the author's identity or the author has disclosed his/her identity. Moreover, if the author's economic rights are vested in a person other that the author of the work, the period starts from the date of dissemination - or the date of establishment of the work if it has not been disseminated.

In the case of an audiovisual work, the protection period lapses with the death of the last of the following persons: the main director, the author of the script, the author of the dialogues or the composer of the music. In the case of a word-musical work, if it was created for a particular work, the period lapses with the death of last of the following: the author of the verbal work or the composer of the music.

The protection of copyrights is calculated in years (following the year in which the event commencing the protection period took place). Different protection periods apply to rights to artistic performances, producers' rights to phonograms and videograms, broadcasting rights, and rights to first publications and scientific and critical publications.

As general rule, Copyright protection expires 70 years after the death of the author of the work, even in cases where the work was only published or disclosed after the death of the author.

In the case of works in collaboration, copyright expires 70 years after the death of the last surviving author. As per collective works or works originally assigned to a corporate person, copyright expires 70 years from the date of the first licit publication or disclosure, except if the individuals who create it were identified in the version of the work available to the public.

The duration of an anonymous work (or work that was legally published or disclosed without identifying the respective author) protection is for 70 years after publication or disclosure.

Copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. In case of co-authored works, the 70-year term begins following the death of the last co-author. For anonymous works or pseudonymous works, the copyright endures for a term of 70 years from the year of its first publication.

Unpublished works that are lawfully disclosed to the public following the expiry of the copyright (eg, after the death of the author) are protected for 25 years starting from the date they were disclosed.

For musical works with lyrics, the 70-year term is calculated from the death of the last survivor between the lyricist and the composer, whether or not they have been designated as co-authors, provided that the contribution made to that musical work has been specifically created for it.

These terms are calculated starting on January 1 of the year following the death of the author or following the public disclosure, as the case may be.

Copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years, starting from the first calendar year after the death of the author. The law provides certain specifics in relation to anonymous works or works published under pseudonym, to works published post mortem and for certain categories of authors (such as participants of the Second World War).

In the case of joint works, the duration of rights is determined in relation to the life of the last-surviving co-author.

Unless differently specified, with regard to neighboring rights, the period of protection is 50 years and occurs from the date of broadcasting or performance.

Personal inalienable rights never expire. Upon the death of the author, the rights may be enforced by the author's heir(s). Furthermore, such rights cannot be waived.

The period of copyright protection for an author is the duration of his/her lifetime and 50 years following his/her death. For joint works, the period of protection is computed from the date of the death of the last surviving author. If the writing is in the form of various parts or volumes then each volume is treated as a separate and independent piece of work.

Where the author is a corporate entity, the period of protection is 50 years from the date of first publication.

The period of protection for audio works, audio-visual works, films, collective works and computer software is 50 years from the date of the first show or publication of the work.

The period of protection for applied arts (handcrafted or manufactured) and photographs is 25 years from the date of first publication.

The period of protection for broadcasting organizations is 20 years from the date of the first transmission of programs or broadcast materials.

The period of protection for the producers of sound recordings and performers is 50 years from the date of performance or its first recording.

The duration of copyright varies according to the type of work concerned. Generally, copyright in a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work shall be effective for 70 years from the end of the year in which the author died. Copyright in published editions of literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works shall be effective for 25 years from when the edition was first published. Copyright for sound recordings and films shall be effective for 70 years from the end of the year in which the sound recording or film was first published. Copyright for broadcastings and cable programs shall be effective for 50 years from the end of the year of making the broadcast or cable program. Copyright in performances shall be effective for 70 years from the end of the year of the performance.

The copyright exists from the moment the work is objectively expressed in a way perceptible by the senses. No registration is required. The duration of a copyright depends on the fact whether the exclusive personal rights or the exclusive property rights are concerned.

The exclusive personal rights are not transferable, and they cease to exist upon the author's death.

The property rights last from the moment of the creation of the work during the life of the author and 70 years after their death.

In the case of the co-author's work, the property rights last throughout the life of the co-author who lives the longest and 70 years after their death.

With respect to the rights related to the copyright, the duration of the property rights to the work is limited to 50 years.

An individual author can enjoy copyright protection for 70 years after their death (an individual author of a cinematographic work can enjoy copyright protection for 70 years from the date of its publication), and the copyright protection term for a work made for hire is 70 years after the date of its publication.

Copyright protection is generally granted for 70 years from the death of the author where the author is a natural person. In those cases in which the author is a legal person, the term of protection is 70 years from January 1 of the year following that in which the work was lawfully published, or following the year of its creation, if the work was not published. It should be noted that copyright of works owned by authors who died before 1988 may benefit from longer protection terms. Some types of works/rights do benefit from shorter terms only.

Copyright protection lasts for the life of the creator plus an additional 70 years. If the work has several creators, the copyright lasts until the end of the 70th year after the last surviving creator's death. For an anonymous work, the copyright endures until the end of the 70th year after the work was made public.

The Copyrights Act also protects neighboring rights of performing artists, producers, photographers, radio and TV-organizations and databases. The neighboring rights (similar to the economic rights of copyright) generally last until 50 years after the right was made public but the term may vary depending on various factors.

The copyright protection for catalogues and databases (ie, a table or other work in which a large amount of information has been compiled or which is the result of a substantial investment) lasts for 15 years after the work is produced. However, if the work has been made available to the public within 15 years from the production, the copyright lasts 15 years from the year when the work was first made available to the public.

Copyright protection lasts for the lifetime of the author plus an additional 70 years, with an exception for computer programs, for which protection ends 50 years after the death of the author. Another statutory exception is foreseen for photographic depictions and depictions of 3-dimensional objects that do not have an individual character but were produced by a process similar to that of photography. In that case, the copyright duration is set to 50 years after the depiction's creation.

Protection for related rights expires 70 years after the performance, publication or production of the work. The right of a performing artist to be named as the artist (a moral right) expires with the death of the artist, but in any event no earlier than 70 years after the performance. The protection of a broadcast starts with its transmission and ends 50 years after.

The duration for the economic rights of a copyright is:

• The life of the author plus 50 years after the author's death
• 10 years from the first public release, if a work is first publicly released between the 40th and 50th year after the author's death

In case of a joint authorship work, the duration is 50 years after the death of the last surviving author. In case of pseudonymous authorship work or an anonymous authorship work, it is 50 years from the time of public release. In case of authorship works created by a juristic person, it is 50 years after the public release or 50 years after the completion of such creation if not publicly released within 50 years after completion of such creation. In addition, the duration for authorship in relation to photographic, audiovisual, sound recordings or performances is 50 years after the public release of such authorship work or 50 years after the completion of such creation if not publicly released within 50 years after completion of such creation.

Moral rights are perpetual and cannot be assigned or inherited.

Copyright protection lasts for 70 years after the death of an author or the death of the last co-author. Copyright to anonymous or pseudonymous works shall continue for 70 years after the work is lawfully made available to the public.

Moral rights of the author exist perpetually.

For most categories of works, rights protected under the Copyright Law are protected for the entire lifetime of the author, and then for 50 years following the death of the author. Where the author is a corporate person, the right shall be protected for 50 years from the first day of the year following the year of first publication.

Provided the work qualifies for protection, protection arises automatically on creation of the work.

For literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, duration is the author's life plus 70 years after the author's death, unless it is computer generated, in which case copyright subsists for 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which it was made. Film copyright expires 70 years after the last death of the director, author and composer. Copyright in broadcasts expires 50 years from the end of the year of the broadcast. Copyright in typographical arrangements of published editions expires 25 years from the end of the year of first publication.

For works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first. For works first published prior to 1978, the term will vary depending on several factors.

No renewal is required for works created on or after January 1, 1978. For works published or registered prior to January 1, 1978, renewal registration is optional after 28 years but does provide certain legal advantages.

If a copyrightable work is not a work for hire, an assignment of the copyright may be terminated within a 5-year period beginning 35 years after the initial grant. If the rights granted include the right to publish, then the assignment may be terminated 35 years after publication or 40 years after grant of publication right, whichever is first.