In terms of copyright duration, how does 'life plus 70 years' affect the heirs of the author?

The phrase 'life plus 70 years' refers to the duration of copyright protection in many jurisdictions, including the United States. Under this rule, the copyright lasts for the lifetime of the author plus an additional 70 years after their death. This means that the heirs or beneficiaries of the author maintain control over the copyrighted work for that extended period, allowing them to manage the rights associated with the work, including reproduction, distribution, and public performance.

As a result, the heirs can exploit the work economically, ensuring they can receive income through potential licenses or royalties generated from the work during this time. The 70 years post-death provides substantial protection and financial benefits to the family, allowing them a period to benefit from the author's creative contributions long after the author has passed away. Therefore, this allows heirs significant control and ownership over the article or any other work created by the author for exactly that time frame.