Yann Forget wrote:
La neuvème édition est clairement protégé. Pour la huitème les droits d'auteur auraient déjà expirés pour les premiers volumes, et ces droits pour les autres devraient terminer à la fin de 2005. Je ne trouve rien dans la loi sur les droits d'auteurs qui autoriserait un collectif immortel.
Yes, but it's a bit more complicated than that, otherwise I wouldn't ask. There is a provision in French law for adding 8 years due to the Second World War, but it seems it doesn't apply to the French Academy because the Academy has no heirs. And it could be that the 9th edition is not subject to copyright because it is an official publication from the French Republic.
30 years for those who are "morts pour la France", but that can't apply for those who are immortal.
Ec