Michael Hart écrit :
Actually, many countried in Europe are still "life +50" or so I am told, perhaps even half the countries in the world where this copyright would already have expired, and some are "life +60" which would make this one expire about now.
Last year I drew up a table showing the breakdown of terms under national law around the world. At that time, there were 79 life+50 countries, with 53% of the global population, compared to 51 life+70 countries, with 21% of the population. In Europe, at the time I drafted my table, the remaining life+50 countries were Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Iceland, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro, and Ukraine. Other than Iceland, only the former Communist world is still under the Berne term, and with Russia caving in, I fear the rest won't be too long to follow, esp. those which are itching for EU membership. If anyone knows for a fact that the situation has changed in any of these countries, lemme know. With Russia's move to life+70, on the global figures you drop one, add one, and change the relative percentages to 51% vs. 23%. For four percent of the world's population, I can't find the term. These are mainly small African, Asian, and Pacific countries. India makes up the biggest chunk of the rest, with its idiosyncratic life+60 rule. There are a handful of countries, mainly in the middle east, with <life+50 terms. On the other hand, there's the horrible situation in Central America. I can't wait till Walt Disney goes before Congress to threaten to move its operations to life+100 Mexico. Oh, won't someone think of the creators?