how long does music copyright laws last for?

Question

if i were to wright a song , do i own it for ever?

Answer 1

Good question.
I think it is about 40 years.
After that, if nobody from your estate renews the copyright, it goes into the public domain and nobody can own it. Anybody can use it, but nobody can own it.
Whoever owns the copyrights to Lennon/McCartney, you are sure they have renewed the copyrights.
But there are many songs that were written that faded into obscurity, or were obscure to begin with, and nobody has taken the time to renew the rights. So they go into the public domain.
The same with movies. Movies are copyrighted. After a certain number of years, they become public domain if they are not renewed.
Some movies that are in the public domain are Night of the Living dead and Little Shop of Horrors...and they were made in the 60s! If you own a copy, you can repackage it under your own label and sell it.

Answer 2

Copyright arises automatically on eligible works - you don't have to register for it. But a sealed letter kept in a solicitor's vault is a common way for people to 'prove' when they created something.

Copyright lasts until either 50 or 70 years after the death of the owner. I can't remember which, but I think it started out at 70, they changed it to 50 for a while, and changed it back to 70 again a few years ago. I'm not certain on that though.


Edit: Death of the original creator. So if you sell it to someone, the 70 years still runs from your death, not theirs.

Answer 3

It can vary depending in which Country you live. Cliff Richard failed to extend some of his copyright to last his lifetime.
By the way, before you write any songs, check your spelling.

Answer 4

70 years

Answer 5

I am pretty sure it's as long as the owner lives, plus 50 years.

Answer 6

If you had it copyrighted. You own it until you sell it.