Duke University Law School
Stanford University Libraries
Peter B. Hirtle, Cornell University Copyright Information Center
Creative Commons
A presentation prepared by Barbara Ingrassisa (2011)
A handbook for determining the copyright status of works created between 1/1/1923 and 12/31/1977.
Guide for determining the copyright status of a work.
Public Domain
When a work is not covered by copyright (because the copyright term has expired, the creator has released the work, or the work was never copyrighted) it is in the public domain. A work that is in the public domain is a creative work that is not protected by copyright and which may be freely used by everyone.
The reasons that the work is not protected can include:
Works in the public domain may be used freely without the permission of the former copyright owner.
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The copyright has expired. In the US, andy work published anywhere in the world before 1923 is in the public domain. |
Copyright waived. The content was released into the public domain by the copyright holder. |
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Created by a US government agency. In the United States content produced by a government body, and paid with tax dollars, resides in the public domain. |
Factual information. The content does not rely on human creativity for an editorial or analytic perspective. (e.x. there are 365 days in a year). |
