Eric Eldred, et al.
Petitioners
Lawrence Lessig, Counsel of RecordIn 1998, the U.S. Congress passed the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA), which increased the length of a copyright for a creative work — such as a book, play, or movie — until 70 years after the death of the author (or 90 years after the publication date for works made for hire). The Act effectively delayed a number of works created in the early twentieth century, such as music by George Gershwin and early Hollywood movies, from entering the public domain for another 20 years. In January 1999, a group of 11 individuals…
