Helpful Links
- Internet ArchiveA great source of all sorts of materials in the Public Domain
The Public Domain by Call Number: Ref KF 3022.Z9 F57 2006ISBN: 9781413304541Publication Date: 2006-05-01It's the definitive guide to the public domain, the creative works that aren't protected by copyright and can be freely copied and used without permission--or permission fees. Featuring chapters on writings, music, art, photography, video, software and much more,
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Public Domain
Public Domain
What is the Public Domain?
The Public Domain refers to all materials that are not protected by copyright and are free to use, remix, adapt and change any way you wish without worry. Works join the public domain in multiple ways, such as:
- Copyright term has expired (see Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States for a helpful chart of copyright expiration dates)
- The creator(s) failed to comply with copyright requirements at the time of publication or renewal
- Copyright never existed (ex: facts, short phrases, ideas, U.S. federal government documents*)
- The copyright owner(s) has dedicated the work to the public domain
What types of resources are in the Public Domain?
The Public Domain is not limited to one type of material and is anything that is created including books, videos, pictures/photographs, audio recordings and more. See the listings below for some ideas.
Public Domain Text Resources
- Project GutenbergA great site that specializes in digitizing classical and many works in the Public Domain
- Google BooksGoogle has been working on digitizing many of the books that reside in the Public Domain. Includes classics from Shakespeare, Ancient Greece and more.
- HathiTrust Digital LibraryWith over 6 million works in their digital collection the HathiTrust can be a great resource
- The Complete Works of William ShakespeareFor anyone who loves Shakespeare this site is a no brainer. All of his plays can be found here in full.
Public Domain Picture Resources
- Creative Commons (Openverse)Creative Commons has a database of images that are in the Public Domain. They just changed the name of the site to Openverse
- Flickr Creative CommonsAnother great site for images and breaks them down by Creative Commons copyright so you can easily find those in the public domain.