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Copyright doesn’t last forever — and knowing when it ends matters whether you’re protecting your own work or want to reuse someone else’s. Here’s how long each type lasts.
The general rule: life plus 70 years
For literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works — books, articles, songs, paintings, photographs, software — copyright lasts the creator’s lifetime plus 70 years from the end of the year they die. That long tail is deliberate: it lets the creator’s family and estate continue to benefit.
The exceptions
- Sound recordings: 70 years from when they’re published or released.
- Broadcasts: 50 years from when they’re first broadcast.
- Films: 70 years from the death of the last of the principal director, screenwriter or composer.
- Typographical arrangement (the published layout of an edition): 25 years.
Joint works and unknown authors
If a work has more than one creator, the clock runs from the death of the last surviving one. If the author is unknown, copyright generally lasts 70 years from when the work was made or first made available.
What “public domain” means
Once copyright expires, a work is in the public domain — you can copy, adapt and sell it freely. That’s why you can publish Shakespeare or Beethoven without permission. Be careful, though: a new edition, recording or arrangement of an old work can carry its own fresh copyright.
New to how copyright works? Start with how to protect your creative work for free.
Last reviewed: June 2026 · For use in England & Wales. eLitigant is a Community Interest Company (No. 16566612), not a law firm, and does not give legal advice. Always confirm current rules and fees on gov.uk.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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