rule of the shorter term

Short definition from Wiktionary

Noun

1. 1
   A feature of the copyright law of some countries, whereby the duration of protection granted by the country in question to a work created in a foreign country is limited to no greater than that which it would have received in its country of origin, even if it would have been eligible for a greater duration had it been created in the country in question; the rule that, when a copyrighted work passe