What is the copyright duration for works created by someone who was paid to create them?

The correct answer regarding the copyright duration for works created by someone who was paid to create them, commonly referred to as "works for hire," is that such works are protected for 95 years from publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever is shorter.

This framework is grounded in U.S. copyright law, which specifies that works created under the direction of another party, typically as part of employment or contractual obligations, do not follow the standard duration associated with an individual author's life. Instead, these "works for hire" have a fixed period of protection that is much longer than the typical individual author's rights.

The importance of the 95-year and 120-year benchmarks allows for a balance between giving creators time to benefit from their works and ensuring that such works eventually enter the public domain. This aims to encourage the production of creative works while fostering public access to culture and information after a reasonable period.

The other choices discussed either reflect individual authorship or shorter durations not applicable to works for hire. Understanding this distinction is key to grasping how copyright law adapts to different scenarios in which works are created.