under the international berne convention for the protection of literary and artistic works of 1886, the signatory countries are required to provide copyright protection for a minimum term of the life of the author plus fifty years. additionally, they are permitted to provide for a longer term of protection. the berne convention did not come into force for the united states until it was ratified on march 1, 1989, but the u.s. had previously provided for the minimum copyright term the convention required in the copyright act of 1976.