{"id":832,"date":"2019-12-06T09:14:18","date_gmt":"2019-12-06T14:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-cu-sites.pantheonsite.io\/library\/?page_id=832"},"modified":"2025-05-23T11:07:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T15:07:48","slug":"public-domain","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.clarkson.edu\/library\/research-tools-collections\/guides\/copyright-basics\/public-domain\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Domain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Works in the Public Domain can be used by anyone for any legal purpose, without permission from the author. Public Domain works include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Works for which the copyright has expired<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Works for which the copyright owner has placed the work in the public domain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Works where copyright never existed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-advgb-accordions advgb-accordions-d3d3ce6e-1de4-44a7-84c2-926fccf6f711 advgb-accordion-wrapper\" data-collapsed=\"true\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-advgb-accordion-item advgb-accordion-item\" style=\"margin-bottom:15px\"><div class=\"advgb-accordion-header\" style=\"background-color:#000;color:#eee;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-radius:2px\"><span class=\"advgb-accordion-header-icon\"><svg fill=\"#fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" d=\"M0,0h24v24H0V0z\"><\/path><path d=\"M12,5.83L15.17,9l1.41-1.41L12,3L7.41,7.59L8.83,9L12,5.83z M12,18.17L8.83,15l-1.41,1.41L12,21l4.59-4.59L15.17,15 L12,18.17z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><h4 class=\"advgb-accordion-header-title\" style=\"color:inherit\">It Can be Hard to Tell What is in the &#8220;Public Domain&#8221;<\/h4><\/div><div class=\"advgb-accordion-body\" style=\"border-style:solid !important;border-width:1px !important;border-color:undefined !important;border-top:none !important;border-radius:2px !important\">\n<p>Works where copyright never existed under federal law:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For a work to have copyright, it must be about appropriate subject matter, fixed, have at least minimal originality, and include creative expression.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Facts &amp; data are not covered by copyright<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>NOTE: State common law may give additional copyright protections, so you must also check state law<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Works of the federal government are not covered by copyright according to 17 U.S.C. 105\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A work is a work prepared by an officer or employee as part of their official duties&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>State government works are generally protected by copyright (check your state&#8217;s laws)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This does not include laws, regulations or court decisions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For more information on state governments and copyright visit Harvard&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/copyright.lib.harvard.edu\/states\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">State Copyright Resource Center<\/a>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>See this Harvard page on <a href=\"http:\/\/copyright.lib.harvard.edu\/states\/new_york\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New York and copyright<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Works where copyright has expired:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For works created during or after 1978:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Copyright is the life of the author, plus 70 years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For &#8220;works for hire&#8221; the copyright is 95 years from publication<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For works published before 1978\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Generally a maximum of 95 years&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>May be shorter if the work was not registered or copyright was not renewed&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Works created before 1978 but not published\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Copyright is life of the author plus 70 years&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See Cornell&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/copyright.cornell.edu\/publicdomain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Copyright Term\u00a0chart<\/a>\u00a0for more information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-advgb-accordions advgb-accordions-345698e4-dd7d-40c4-9f38-1bcfd3acda03 advgb-accordion-wrapper\" data-collapsed=\"true\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-advgb-accordion-item advgb-accordion-item\" style=\"margin-bottom:15px\"><div class=\"advgb-accordion-header\" style=\"background-color:#000;color:#eee;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-radius:2px\"><span class=\"advgb-accordion-header-icon\"><svg fill=\"#fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" d=\"M0,0h24v24H0V0z\"><\/path><path d=\"M12,5.83L15.17,9l1.41-1.41L12,3L7.41,7.59L8.83,9L12,5.83z M12,18.17L8.83,15l-1.41,1.41L12,21l4.59-4.59L15.17,15 L12,18.17z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><h4 class=\"advgb-accordion-header-title\" style=\"color:inherit\">How Do I Tell if it is in the &#8220;Public Domain?&#8221;<\/h4><\/div><div class=\"advgb-accordion-body\" style=\"border-style:solid !important;border-width:1px !important;border-color:undefined !important;border-top:none !important;border-radius:2px !important\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Was it published?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Published generally means copies of a work distributed to the public by sale or transfer of ownership<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Published can also include a limited or select group distribution for limited purposes with restrictions on reproducing, distributing or selling<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When was it published?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check the list above&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Was it renewed?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check the Library of Congress database at copyright.gov for materials published after 1978<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu\/renewals.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Catalog of Copyright Entries<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/exhibits.stanford.edu\/copyrightrenewals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stanford&#8217;s database<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is there anything in it that might have its own copyright held by someone else, such as a photo or chart?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make sure you know all the facts!\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Was it published?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When was it published?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is the nationality of the author?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Works that are in the public domain in the US might still be protected abroad&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Works written by foreign authors may be protected in the US\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Failure to renew a US edition may not matter if it was also published abroad&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When in doubt, consult your lawyer!&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-advgb-accordions advgb-accordions-47c969ac-60ba-4cbe-89da-0d935f768c4c advgb-accordion-wrapper\" data-collapsed=\"true\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-advgb-accordion-item advgb-accordion-item\" style=\"margin-bottom:15px\"><div class=\"advgb-accordion-header\" style=\"background-color:#000;color:#eee;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-radius:2px\"><span class=\"advgb-accordion-header-icon\"><svg fill=\"#fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" d=\"M0,0h24v24H0V0z\"><\/path><path d=\"M12,5.83L15.17,9l1.41-1.41L12,3L7.41,7.59L8.83,9L12,5.83z M12,18.17L8.83,15l-1.41,1.41L12,21l4.59-4.59L15.17,15 L12,18.17z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><h4 class=\"advgb-accordion-header-title\" style=\"color:inherit\">Tools<\/h4><\/div><div class=\"advgb-accordion-body\" style=\"border-style:solid !important;border-width:1px !important;border-color:undefined !important;border-top:none !important;border-radius:2px !important\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/librarycopyright.net\/resources\/digitalslider\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Digital Copyright Slider<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Works in the Public Domain can be used by anyone for any legal purpose, without permission from the author. Public Domain works include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":0,"parent":816,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/right-sidebarpage.php","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-832","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Public Domain - University Libraries<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.clarkson.edu\/library\/research-tools-collections\/guides\/copyright-basics\/public-domain\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Public Domain - University Libraries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Works in the Public Domain can be used by anyone for any legal purpose, without permission from the author. 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