Japan to extend copyright period on works including novels, paintings to 70 years on Dec. 30

Dec 10, 2018 | News On Japan

Dec 10, 2018 (Japan Times) - Japan is set to extend the copyright period on works such as novels and paintings to 70 years after the authorsâ€™ deaths from the current 50 years, effective Dec. 30, when the revised copyright law goes into force.

The copyright law was revised as part of legislation to approve the 11-member Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, known as TPP-11.

Before the revision, the copyright on the works of Japanese painter Tsuguharu Fujita, who died in January 1968, was set to expire at the end of this year.

The revision is set to extend the copyright on his works until the end of 2038. A similar last-minute extension also applies to the works of artists including composer Tadashi Manjome and Hanako Muraoka, who is known for translating the novel â€œAnne of Green Gablesâ€ into Japanese.

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