I suppose that I'm the only person that expected something along the lines of a mathematical calculator that is designed to be in the public domain (FOSS style).

Actually I did too. And, American-centrism at its finest in me, I wondered why the USA was not on the drop-down until it dawned on me...

I need more caffeine

It'd be easy to write a US version. When does [type of work x] from [year released y] enter the public domain? All possible inputs return "Never." Done!

Well, that's speculating that copyright will be extended again before 2019.

Like that would happen....

Where's the scotch again?

Well, they certainly are going to try it again before 2023. I can't imagine Disney has stopped caring about Steamboat Willie between now and the late 90s.

I decided to try the UK calculator, for literary works. I'm somewhat horrified by the fact that one of the questions is 'Is the work "Peter Pan" by Sir James Matthew Barrie or an adaptation of that work?'

When specific works and specific authors have special laws passed for them, there's something a bit wrong with your legal system.

(And yes, I knew about this exception already, but wasn't thinking about it going in so the question caught me by surprise)

I knew about the exception also but I always think its a bit strange. Wikipedia refers to it as more of a tax on performances than perpetual copyright[1] because European copyrights for Peter Pan expired on December 31 2007.

The legislation is 301 Provisions for the benefit of the Hospital for Sick Children from the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988[2]

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_copyright [2] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48?view=plain