Copyright terms: when a book becomes free to adapt
The general copyright term for books in six jurisdictions, each read on the government's own page or statute: the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, Japan and Australia. As of 2026-09-25.
| Jurisdiction | Term | Expiry |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Life of the author plus 70 years for works created from 1978 | Every work published in the United States before January 1, 1931 is in the public domain |
| United Kingdom | 70 years after the author's death for written works | Once copyright has expired, anyone can use or copy the work |
| European Union | Life of the author and 70 years after death, across the member states | Not stated on the page read |
| Canada | Life of the author, the rest of that calendar year, then 70 years | The 70 years run from the end of the calendar year of death |
| Japan | The author's lifetime and 70 years after death | Not stated on the page read |
| Australia | 70 years after the death of the author for works | Expired material falls into the public domain and may be used without permission |
Inclusion rule. Jurisdictions whose official pages were read. Order. The order they are listed in on this site.
1What the table shows
For an ordinary book by a known author, all six count 70 years from the author's death. The United States adds a second rule for older works, counted from publication, which is why a book can be free there and not in Europe, or the other way round.
The count usually runs to the end of a calendar year, so works become free on January 1. Canada's statute spells this out.
Being free in one country does not make a book free everywhere. An adaptation shown worldwide has to respect the term wherever it is shown.
2Each jurisdiction
- United States — Life of the author plus 70 years for works created from 1978
- United Kingdom — 70 years after the author's death for written works
- European Union — Life of the author and 70 years after death, across the member states
- Canada — Life of the author, the rest of that calendar year, then 70 years
- Japan — The author's lifetime and 70 years after death
- Australia — 70 years after the death of the author for works
3From book to screen, one tool's way
Once the rights in “Copyright terms” are settled, SceneMixer describes the adaptation itself like this:
The spoken lines and the end card follow your interface language across fifteen dialogue languages, with the cast and setting adapted to that market. The end card falls back to a language it can typeset when a script needs shaping or right-to-left layout.
SceneMixer, AI Ad Video Generator — “Which languages can the ad be in?” (read 2026-10-13)
SceneMixer separates the script language from the production language: the output (episode outlines, storyboards, on-screen text) follows your interface language, and target-region localization adapts character names, casting, and scenery for Western, East Asian, Southeast Asian, or Latin American audiences.
SceneMixer, Turn a Novel into a Video Series with AI — “Can I turn a Chinese web novel into an English-language drama?” (read 2026-10-13)