On 2/4/06, Michael Snow wikipedia@earthlink.net wrote:
Less than that, or slightly more depending on how you look at it. It was originally 14 years from the time of publication, with a one-time right of renewal for an additional 14.
I always think it's a shame the renewal requirement was dropped in copyright law. It ensured that stuff that nobody cared about enough anymore fell into the public domain quicker. I guess it did make things a lot more complicated, though.
-Matt