Final answer:
The U.S. copyright term protects the exclusive rights of creators, lasting for the author's life plus 70 years posthumously. For collaborative works, it extends 70 years beyond the last author's death, and 95 or 120 years for works made for hire or anonymous works. This legal protection encourages innovation by granting exclusive rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The copyright term in the United States is designed to protect the exclusive rights of creators to their original works. This legal protection lasts for the entire life of the author plus an additional 70 years following their death. Essentially, this means that copyrighted materials such as books, music, and films can't be legally reproduced, displayed, or performed without the permission of the author.
For works involving multiple authors, copyright extends for 70 years after the last surviving author's death. In cases of works made for hire, anonymous, or pseudonymous works, the copyright duration is either 95 years from publication or 120 years from the creation of the work, whichever comes first. Copyright is a critical part of intellectual property rights, which also includes patents. Both types of legal protection incentivize creators and innovators by granting them exclusive rights to their work or invention for a significant period of time.