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Copyright Fundamentals

What is Public Domain?

Public Domain is a community of works that are outside copyright.

Generally these include works published before 1923; those whose copyright terms have expired; or anything published by the U.S. federal government. Copyright terms vary depending upon the life of the author and whether or not the author is a corporation.

Works in the Public Domain are not protected under copyright law and may be freely used by anyone!

How does work enter Public Domain?

Work enters public domain by: 

  1.  Copyright expiration (in the U.S. copyright lasts for the life of the creator +70 years)
  2. It was never protected to begin with 
  3. The work was dedicated to Public Domain from the start 
  4. In other countries (not the U.S.) steps for copyright were never followed 

 

Reminders

  • Just because there is not a copyright symbols, does not mean it is not protected. 
  • Other protections may still be in place after copyright has expired like moral laws or author's rights. 
  • What is in the public domain in one country, may not be in another. 
  • There are best practices and ethical considerations when using public domain work. 

Infographic about how works enter public domain and the four reminders.

Best Practices

Though it is not required to by copyright law to indicate where you got the information when using public domain works, as a college, we are bound by academic integrity and respect for intellectual property to cite our sources and attribute works in the public domain. 

  • Give credit where credit is due. 
  • Provide original source information. 
  • Show respect for the original work. 
  • Preserve Public domain marks and notices. 
  • Protect the reputation of authors and providers. 
  • Contribute discoveries back. 
  • Share knowledge. 
  • Maximize a work's potential. 
  • Support efforts to enrich the public domain. 

Public Domain Guidelines by Creative Commons is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Public Domain Resources

 

           Use this search tool at the United States Copyright Office for tracking down copyright records. 

 

 

            See if a work is protected under copyright or now in the Public Domain 

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