LibGuides: Copyright: Public Domain

What is Public Domain?

Public domain refers to creative works that are not protected by copyright and are therefore free for anyone to use, copy, modify, and distribute without permission or payment.

A work can enter the public domain in the U.S. in several ways:

Expiration of Copyright:
- Copyright protection lasts for a limited time. When it expires, the work enters the public domain.
Failure to Meet Copyright Requirements:
- Older works (especially pre-1978) that didn't follow copyright formalities may have entered the public domain.
Dedication:
- The creator can intentionally place the work in the public domain (e.g., using tools like Creative Commons Zero).
Works Created by the U.S. Government:
- Most works produced by federal government employees as part of their official duties are automatically in the public domain.

Once a work is in the public domain, anyone can use it freely for any purpose—personal, educational, or commercial.

Online Resources for Educators

europeana
Europeana is an online portal for exploring Europe’s cultural collections. It is currently collecting vast quantities of data from cultural heritage institutions across Europe about the collections of material they hold. That a work can be found on Europeana is, of course, no guarantee that it is in the public domain so additional filters must be applied in the search function. Once you’ve done an initial search you can use the “refined search” function underneath the search function on the left to search “by copyright”. Clicking on the CCO option will show you items published under an open license, i.e. free for any use.
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, people with print disabilities, and the general public. Our mission is to provide Universal Access to All Knowledge.
Library of Congress
A huge collection of print, pictorial and audio-visual material. Most of the material is public domain but not all so do check on a case by case basis. Use the search bar in the top right or navigate via their very interesting curated collections.
Open Images
Open Images is an open media platform that offers online access to audiovisual archive material to stimulate creative reuse. Footage from audiovisual collections can be downloaded and remixed into new works.
Wiki Commons
Wikipedia’s media repository – the place to go for finding images, anything from 17th century anatomical engravings to the casual user uploaded snapshot of a shopping center. They make a great effort to try and organize the content into categories to make navigation easier but it does sometimes take a little getting used to hit upon the (very useful) category section.