Perhaps you might want to consult the WIPO website...
http://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/faq/faqs.htm#rights
I can't seem to find much about 12 month expiries or "uncontested" uses... seems to me you get upwards to 70 years to start with and more beyond that.
Please... help me out here... show me how you figure you can steal from others with impunity.
Alex