Research Guides: Copyright: Public Domain

Where is the Public Domain?

"The public domain is not a place. A work of authorship is in the 'public domain' if it is no longer under copyright protection or if it failed to meet the requirements for copyright protection. Works in the public domain may be used freely without the permission of the former copyright owner."

(U.S. Copyright Office Definitions; emphasis added)

However, please note that material found on publicly accessible websites does not mean the material is in the public domain. Internet content from websites -- including social media platforms and audiovisual repositories such as YouTube and Instagram -- are protected by copyright and the websites' terms of use and cannot be used without attribution and sometimes explicit permission.

What is and is not in the public domain as of January 1 of this year (Cornell)

"A work enters the public domain on the first of the year following the expiration of its copyright term" (Cornell), which is now 95 years in length. As copyright law has been amended several times in order to extend copyright protection, creators who so desire can opt to put their work into the PD immediately, often through the use of Creative Commons licenses.

Images in the Public Domain

Use these images freely but don't forget to cite where they came from!

These images want to be used and you should most definitely do so, but please cite the source institution. Though many of the public domain images are long out of copyright, citing the source institution (that is, the museum/library/etc. wherein the original image/material is held) makes it easier for others to track down the originals of the images you use. If you use any of these images in an assignment, publication, or course presentation, you must include a full citation of the image in your list of works cited.

Multisource

Openverse Creative Commons Search
Openverse, housed by WordPress, provides an easy interface to search specifically for media that can be used for commercial purposes and/or be modified and reworked through use of Creative Commons licenses.
Wikimedia Commons
Much of the images and other media found on Wikipedia are part of Wikimedia, a database of millions of files available for use, added by users.
ArtStor Public Collections
Images available for public use from the museums and institutions collected in ArtStor.
Per ArtStor: "All of these collections have been made available by the institutions that manage them in order to allow broader access. All of the images can be viewed and downloaded without restrictions, but you should consult the rights data in each record to see if and how an image can be reused."

Museums and Institutions

British Museum - Collections
More than 2 million images available for most uses; requires account for download.
LACMA Image Gallery
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art's collection of thousands of images in the public domain.
National Gallery of Art Digital Images
Thousands of open access images from the collections of the National Gallery of Art.
NYPL Digital Collections
The New York Public Library provides access to more than 800,000 images from their holdings, "including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs and more."
Rijksmuseum Digital Collections
Hundreds of thousands of images from the Rijksmuseum collections, including many works of Rembrandt.
Yale University Library Digital Collections
500,000+ images, many of which are in the public domain.

Use These! Books, Movies and More in the Public Domain

Works that are in the public domain are free to reuse and repurpose. These works enter the public domain once their term of copyright protection has expired; more recent works can also be designated for public use at their time of creation.

Detail from Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq, Known as the ‘Night Watch’, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642
Source: Rijksmuseum (click for full image)

Bush Memorial Library Public Domain Guide
A list of sites that provide work in the public domain, including images, music and sounds, and film.
HathiTrust Digital Library
A digital repository created in collaboration with libraries and archives around the world, ensuring long-term access to books and other works in the public domain as well as under copyright.
Internet Archive Ebooks & Texts
Millions of freely downloadable books, some in the public domain, some made open access, from libraries, museums, federal agencies, and more.
The Online Books Page
JSTOR Early Journal Content
JSTOR provides digital access to the archives of hundreds of journals in the public domain, those older than 95 years in the U.S., or 143 years if international.
Per JSTOR: "Anyone may use the Early Journal Content for noncommercial purposes with acknowledgement to JSTOR as the source of the files."

Disclaimer

The information presented here is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.