What is the public domain?

Public domain works are not restricted by copyright and do not require a license or fee to use. Public domain status allows the user unrestricted access and unlimited creativity!

There are three main categories of public domain works:

Works that automatically enter the public domain upon creation, because they are not copyrightable:
- Titles, names, short phrases and slogans, familiar symbols, numbers
- Ideas and facts (e.g., the date of the Gettysburg Address)
- Processes and systems
- Government works and documents¹
Works that have entered the public domain because the copyright on them has expired
Works that have been assigned to the public domain by their creators.
- CC0 (aka CC Zero) is a public dedication tool, which allows creators to give up their copyright and put their works into the worldwide public domain. CC0 allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, with no conditions.

(Note: Use of some works, such as ideas and symbols, may be restricted by other laws, such as patent, trademark, or trade secret.)

Most important take-away:

If you find a resource that's in the public domain, maybe because it was never copyrightable in the first place, or because it's old and the copyright has expired, or because the creator has given it a CC0 license...

😃USE AWAY!😃

If you've found a resource that's NOT in the public domain, it doesn't mean you can't use it. You may be able to under Fair Use or an Open License. The next pages describe what those are and how to tell.

Where can I find public domain works?

The sites below will guide you to a cultural wealth of public domain books, images, illustrations, audio, and films where the copyright term has expired or the creator has not renewed the license. Remember, public domain works are free and available for unrestricted use. Enjoy and be creative!

Smithsonian Institution Public Domain Images
New York Times Public Domain Archives
Project Gutenberg, a collection of public domain electronic books
Librivox, public domain audio books
Prelinger Archives; a vast collection of advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur films.

Only if you're curious...

What works have expired into the public domain?

As of January 2025, all works published in the U.S. before 1930
All works published with a copyright notice from 1930 through 1963 without copyright renewal
All works published without a copyright notice from 1964 through 1977
All works published without a copyright notice from 1978 through March 1, 1989, and without subsequent registration within 5 years

Congress has passed a series of laws extending the term of copyright. Currently, the default term is life of the author plus 70 years. That means that most of the copyrighted works created from the late 1970s to the present may not become public domain during your lifetime.

In general, works published after 1977 will not fall into the public domain until 70 years after the death of author, or, for corporate works, anonymous works, or works for hire, 95 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever expires first.

Licenses and Attributions

CC licensed content, Shared previously

Public Domain FAQ. Authored by: Electronic Frontier Foundation. Provided by: Electronic Frontier Foundation. License: CC BY: Attribution
Copyright Term and The Public Domain in the United States. Authored by: Cornell Copyright Information Center. Provided by: Cornell University (pdf). License: CC BY: Attribution