copyright
Can descendants modify copyright of parent&#39;s work?
<p>According to <a href="http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm" rel="nofollow">this link</a> if a work was published in 1969 then the copyright would be for 95 years after publication date.</p>

<p>If the original author has died, is there any method for descendants to modify the copyright, specifically something like releasing the work into the public domain? </p>

<p>Maybe related that would help answer the question would be this - can copyright be transferred to descendants? If it were transferred, e.g., in a will, does the original length of the copyright still apply, just that the ownership would be to the new owners?</p>

<p>Intellectual property is <em>property</em> and the owner can do all the things that can be done with property including selling it, gifting it and bequeathing it. It can also be licensed; the closest analogue to normal property being renting or lending it except you can license to more than one person at a time.</p>

<p>The current owner can do anything the original owner could do with it. </p>

<p>Transfer of ownership does not affect the duration or status of the rights at all.</p>
