List of copyright terms of countries

An alphabetic list of different countries and the length of their standard copyright in years. Most countries now have copyright terms that are based on the death dates of the authors. Laws regarding anonymous works, corporate-authored works, or non-literary works vary per country. It is not intended to be used as a legal guideline since it cannot reflect the complexity of the copyright laws in effect at any one time and since copyright laws are changing continuously. It is intended only as an overview of the portions of the world which are under any particular style of copyright. See the external link at the end of this article for more details.

• Afghanistan none
• Akrotiri unknown
• Albania life plus 70 years
• Algeria life plus 50 years
• American Samoa unknown
• Andorra life plus 70 years
• Angola life plus 50 years
• Anguilla unknown
• Antigua and Barbuda unknown
• Argentina life plus 50 years
• Armenia life plus 50 years
• Aruba unknown
• Australia life plus 50 years for works by authors who died before 1955, then life plus 70 years
• Australia life plus 70 years
• Austria life plus 70 years
• Azerbaijan life plus 50 years
• Bahrain life plus 50 years
• Baker Island unknown
• Bangladesh life plus 50 years
• Barbados life plus 50 years
• Bassas da India unknown
• Belarus life plus 50 years
• Belgium life plus 70 years
• Belize life plus 50 years
• Benin life plus 50 years
• Bermuda unknown
• Bhutan life plus 50 years
• Bolivia life plus 50 years
• Bosnia and Herzegovina life plus 70 years
• Botswana unknown
• Bouvet Island unknown
• Brazil life plus 70 years
• British Indian Ocean Territory unknown
• British Virgin Islands unknown
• Brunei life plus 50 years
• Bulgaria life plus 70 years
• Burkina Faso life plus 50 years
• Burma unknown
• Burundi life plus 50 years
• Cambodia life plus 50 years
• Cameroon life plus 50 years
• Canada life plus 50 years
• Cape Verde unknown
• Cayman Islands unknown
• Central African Republic unknown
• Chad unknown
• Chile life plus 50 years
• China life plus 50 years
• Egypt life plus 50 years
• Germany life plus 70 years
• Indonesia life plus 50 years
• Iraq life plus 50 years (imposed by occupying provisional authority)
• Japan life plus 50 years
• Jordan life plus 50 years
• Lebanon life plus 50 years
• Libya life plus 25 years, with 50-year minimum (as of 1968; may have changed since)
• Mexico life plus 100 years
• Morocco life plus 50 years
• New Zealand life plus 50 years
• Oman life plus 50 years
• Pakistan life plus 50 years
• Qatar life plus 50 years
• Russia life plus 50 years (life plus 70 years starting July 28, 2004, if the term didn't expire as of this date). (Source)
• Saudi Arabia life plus 50 years
• Sudan life plus 25 years
• Syria life plus 50 years
• Thailand life plus 50 years
• The Bahamas unknown
• Tunisia life plus 50 years
• United Arab Emirates life plus 50 years
• United States of America 28 or 95 years for works copyrighted 1923-1963; 95 years for works copyrighted 1964-1977; thereafter life plus 70 years. (Copyrights prior to 1923 have expired.)
• Yemen life plus 30 years

External link

• Summary of copyright terms in various countries, with links to summaries or copies of national laws