sonny bono copyright term extension act
Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. Copyright. A federal law extending the copyright term by 20 years for all works published in the U.S. after January 1, 1978, and settling the copyright term for works created before 1978 as 95 years from the original copyright date. • Before the extension, the copyright term was the life of the author plus 50 years. The Act is named in honor of its sponsor, Congressman Sonny Bono, who died before the bill became law. Pub. L. No. 105-298, 112 Stat. 2827. [Cases: Copyrights and Intellectual Property 33. C.J.S. Copyrights and Intellectual Property §§ 31–32, 34, 94.]
