copy right music and lyrics

You can only use works that were created after 1/1/1978- life of the longest surviving author + 70 years- earliest possible PD date is 1/1/2048. Works registered before 1/1/1978- copyright protection for 95 years from the date copyright is secured. Works registered before 1/1/1923- copyright protection for 75 years has expired and these works are in the public domain. Having copyrights to music and lyrics really means that they are secure to your benefit.Prior to the sonny bono 20 year copyright term extension, copyright protection for works registered before 1/1/1978 was 75 years; therefore, compositions registered in1922 or earlier entered the public domain on 1/1/1998. Extension 20 years.The 1998 copy right extension did not extend copy right protection from 75 to 95 years for songs already in the public domain.