What Happens After Copyright Expires?
After the copyright has expired (generally 50 years beyond the author’s lifetime), the work in question becomes public knowledge. Anyone will be allowed to reproduce the work. For example, if you go to the library and find an old manuscript of a play from the 1800s, you can safely say that the copyright for the work has expired (as the author is likely to have been dead for over 50 years), and you are free to copy it and use it however you want. Similarly, your neighbour can go to the library and get a copy of the manuscript. Both of you will have exactly the same copy of the manuscript, and neither of you would have infringed any copyright. Of course, there are exceptions in the law as to when certain unauthorized use of material does or does not constitute copyright infringement. You should consult a lawyer before you use any unauthorized material, even if you are relying on a statutory exception. I urge readers to be cautious when copying an original work, be it an article in the lo
