How many years after the author's death did the copyright of a citizen's work expire? The answer to this question depended on the type of work and the method of publication. If the work was published immediately after the author's death, the copyright protection period was the author's lifetime right. However, if the work was published some time after the author's death, the deadline for the protection of the right of publication would need to be determined by the way the work was published. For example, if the work was first published within a few years of the author's death, then the copyright protection period would be the author's lifetime rights. However, if the work was legally re-published within a few years of the author's death, then the copyright protection period would need to be judged based on whether the newly published work was the same as the original work. If the work is a work in the meaning of copyright law, such as a novel, poem, script, etc., then the term of protection of the right of publication shall be 50 years after the death of the author. However, for other types of works such as trademark, patent, etc., the deadline for the protection period of the right to publish would need to be judged according to the relevant laws and regulations. Therefore, if you want to know the specific deadline for the protection period of the citizen's right to publish a work, you need to refer to the relevant legal provisions according to the type of work and the method of publication.