Copyright term for books: United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, according to GOV.UK: 70 years after the author's death for written works. As of 2026-09-25.
In the United Kingdom, written, dramatic, musical and artistic works are protected for 70 years after the author's death, according to GOV.UK.
The same page states that once copyright has expired, anyone can use or copy the work. Films and recordings run on their own clocks, which matters when a book has already been filmed.
An adaptation of a book still in copyright needs the rights holder's permission, whatever tool makes it.
1In the official wording
Written, dramatic, musical and artistic work 70 years after the author’s death
GOV.UK, How long copyright lasts
Once your copyright has expired, anyone can use or copy your work.
GOV.UK, How long copyright lasts
- Table70 years after the author's death for written works
- Page introOnce copyright has expired, anyone can use or copy the work
2From book to screen, one tool's way
Once the rights in “United Kingdom” 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)
Measured across every job that finished successfully on scenemixer.com in the thirty days to 20 September 2026: analysis of a whole book runs about 2 minutes 49 seconds at the median, one episode's storyboard 1 minute 54 seconds, one video segment 3 minutes 20 seconds, and compositing an episode 3 minutes 52 seconds.
SceneMixer, Turn a Novel into a Video Series with AI — “How long does it take to produce one episode?” (read 2026-10-13)
3Next to the other jurisdictions
| 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.
Every one of the six reads 70 years after the author's death for an ordinary book, but the details differ: where the count starts, how older works are handled, and which works count from publication instead of death.
4Other jurisdictions
Then check the text you use: public-domain libraries; and the tool you upload it to: AI tool terms.