Public Domain
The term “public domain” refers to creative materials that are not protected by intellectual property laws such as copyright, trademark, or patent laws. The public owns these works, not an individual author or artist. Anyone can use a public domain work without obtaining permission, but no one can ever own it. For instance, if you wanted to publish an edition of The Great Gatsby or Silas Marner you are free to do so.
Copyright law has changed over time, so the length of copyright protection for a particular work depends on a number of factors, including when the work was created or published, who created it, and what legal formalities were followed. In general, a work created today will have copyright protection for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. Works published in the United States prior to 1928 are in the public domain. In 2024, works published prior to 1929 will enter the public domain, in 2025, works published prior to 1930, and so on (95 years). There are numerous situations in which a work published after 1928 or within 70 years of the death of an author will be in the public domain, but they can be tricky to determine. For an in-depth look at public domain, check out the Peter Hirtle's Copyright Term and the Public Domain. Please contact me if you have questions about whether a work is in the public domain.
Public Domain Resources