Public domain works are not restricted by copyright and do not require a license or fee to use.
Material enters the public domain when:
- A copyright term expires
- A copyright owner fails to follow renewal rules
- A copyright owner places the work in the Public Domain
The following categories of works are now in the public domain:
- All works published in the U.S. before 1927
- All works published with a copyright notice from 1927 through 1963 without copyright renewal being filed
- All works published without a copyright notice from 1927 through 1977
- All works published without a copyright notice from 1978 through March 1, 1989, and not registered within 5 years of publication
