Copyright for Faculty: Public Domain

This guide provides resources for faculty and students on U.S. Copyright Law and how it pertains to education.

Tools to Determine Public Domain

Public Domain Slider
Select a publication date on the digital slider and determine an item's copyright status. (American Library Association, Office for Information Technology Policy)
Copyright Term & Public Domain Chart
Detailed information on copyright status of works published, sound recordings and architectural works (Cornell University).
Orphan Works: Statement of Best Practices
Society of American Archivists' guidelines on how to identify and locate copyright owners

Works in the public domain may be reproduced or adapted. A work is considered to be in the public domain if:

Credit: The Public Domain portion of this guide was originally created by Devin Soper, librarian at the Florida State University.

Subjects: General, Library Information and Tutoring