Verndartími

Verndartími is a legal term used in Icelandic law to denote the period during which a protected work, invention, database, or other asset remains under exclusive protection. The phrase literally means “protection time,” and the length of this period is defined by statute, treaty, or regulation. The concept is central to determining when a work or right may be used by others or placed into the public domain.

The exact duration depends on the category of protection. In general, copyright verndartími lasts for the life of the author plus a fixed number of years after death, with variations for anonymous or corporate works. In many jurisdictions, including Iceland within the European Economic Area, a common term is life plus 70 years. For patents, verndartími is typically a fixed number of years from filing or priority, commonly 20 years, subject to maintenance. Trademarks can be protected indefinitely, provided they are renewed and remain in use. Database rights, where applicable, often have a finite term—for example, a sui generis database right commonly lasts around 15 years from completion of the database in the European Union.

The concept also intersects with policy and access: shorter verndartími may hasten the entry of works into the public domain, while longer terms expand exclusive control and licensing opportunities for rights holders. Changes in national law or international agreements can alter the length of protection and affect creators, businesses, and the public domain.

See also: copyright duration, intellectual property law, public domain.