Copyright lasts for seventy years after the death of the author, in the case of the majority of literary, musical or dramatic creations. In the case of jointly created works (with e.g. two or more authors) it lasts for seventy years after the last surviving author's death.

The Disney Company recently successfully challenged this, to maintain control over their Mickey Mouse Character and associated businesses, products and merchandise... but for the rest of us mere mortals (not that we have anything against Disney, you understand...) it is best to assume that we have got the standard seventy years after death protection...

There are special cases, but basically that's it for Copyright expiry.

For example, as far as we are aware, and please feel free to contact us if we're wrong here, that music is only covered for fifty years after the end of the year in which it was recorded.

Also, lyrics and the music are also covered separately (as the rights can be held by and/or assigned to different people).

If your product results in merchandise being sold around or based upon it, then you only get 25 years protection. Merchandise could be dolls of film, television, comic strip or computer game stars. It could also be watches, badges, baseball caps, t-shits and other items of clothing - there are many varied possibilities.

So, with tens of years of cover, there's no point in worrying about your copyright in a new work running out any time soon!

It is little wonder that Copyright is known as 'The King Of All Rights'.