Copyright guide: how long does copyright last?

Copyright generally exists in a work for a period of 70 years following the death of the author. If the work has several authors, the period of protection will last for 70 years following the death of the last surviving author. Sound recordings and broadcasts or cable programmes are protected for 50 years from the first recording or transmission. Films are protected for 70 years from the death of the last survivor of the main parties involved in the production, although actors´ performance rights may also exist. Copyright in the typographical arrangement of a literary work rests with the publisher for 25 years following the date of publication.