The US public domain is filled with creative works you can use any way you want to. No need to ask anyone’s permission. No fees necessary.
You can find photos, books, music, software — and more — that you’re free to recast, remix, and build upon.
But how do you find these works? And how can you be sure they really are copyright-free?
Copyright law is complex (as complex as the tax code, some say) and there’s a lot of misinformation and hype out there about what is and what isn’t “public domain.”
It can get confusing.
Are you unsure about what’s free to use and what isn’t? Have questions like ...
If you’ve got questions like these you’re not alone. That’s why this site is here.
Don’t just rely on stuff you’ve heard — get the facts. Browsing through these pages will help you ...
For example, are you looking for photos? Books? Sheet music? Just choose your subject from the navigation menu on the right.
Listen, you can answer a lot of public domain questions yourself. There’s an online copyright tutorial, a copyright duration diagram, and a copyright term calculator to help you figure out whether a specific work is in the public domain — and if it’s not, when it will be.
And if someone accuses you of infringing their copyright? There are tips for dealing with a cease and desist letter.
You can find answers to your public domain questions without hiring an attorney and paying hefty fees. And if you do need to consult an attorney, you’ll have information that will help you keep your legal costs down. You know what they say — knowledge is power.
Keep reading. You’ll get the facts here, without the hype.