Connecticut passed the first state copyright law in 1783.
So their ideas don't get stolen and passed off as someone else's.
1988. See the link below for the complete text.
Both copyright law and grants of arms confer specific exclusive rights. These rights also can be passed to heirs, although copyright protection does expire.
John Donne's works are in the public domain as he passed away in 1631. This means that his works are no longer protected by copyright law and are freely available for public use and reproduction.
Unless other arrangements were made, rights would have passed to his children.
The copyright to A.A. Milne's poems is owned by the Milne Estate. At the time of his death, the copyright passed to his widow and then to subsequent heirs. The exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and adapt the works are protected under copyright law.
Very little. Until the major revision of 1909 copyright did not apply to the, then novelty, movie industry. In fact the earliest copyright of a movie that I can find is 1894 when Thomas Edison filed for copyright of the "Edison Kinetoscopic Recording of a Sneeze" as a photograph.
Unless other arrangements were made, rights would have passed to his daughter, Helen.
It varies from country to country. The current US act is from 1976, for example, and the current UK act is from 1988.
In the United States, Congress has the power to enact new laws concerning intellectual property and to amend existing legislation.
Copyright of folk tales, mythology, and legends typically resides in the public domain as these stories are passed down through generations and are considered part of a cultural heritage. However, specific adaptations or retellings of these tales by an author may be protected under their individual copyright.