The public domain is the collective group of works which are not protected by copyright. Works may not be protected for various reasons including:
- it was created by the U.S. Federal Government
- its copyright may have expired
- it was created before copyright laws existed
- copyright law does not protect this type of work
Anyone can use a public domain work without getting permission.
Use the Digital Copyright Slider to help you determine whether a work is in the public domain or protected by copyright law.
