User:Sherurcij/copyright

http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/public_domain/

Help:Official texts 171293 23522

By US Law
Anything published prior to 1923 is assumed to be Public Domain, with very few exceptions.

Anything published from 1923-1963 is public domain if the copyright was not renewed. Search online databases for renewal records, or if there was no copyright notice.

Anything published 1964-1989 without a copyright notice is Public Domain.

Anything that wasn't published prior to 2003 is simply Death+70.


 * List of countries' copyright length


 * 1) If a work was published in the U.S. within 30 days of its first publication anywhere in the world, it is considered a U.S. work under U.S. law. (See Term and the Public Domain in the United States", footnote 9.)
 * 2) If a U.S. work (or any work) was first published before 1923 then it's PD, as stated above.
 * 3) If a U.S. work was first published before 1978 without a visible copyright notice, it was never copyrighted and it is in the public domain. (See w:Template:PD-Pre1978.) But you have to make sure it was missing a &copy; note on the very first publication.
 * 4) Rare case: If a U.S. work was first published without a visible copyright notice between 1978 and March 1, 1989, but that copyright was not registered with the U.S. copyright office within 5 years, then the work is PD. (This can be determined by searching the U.S. Copyright Office Online Search.)
 * 5) If a U.S. work was first published before 1964, then its copyright will have expired 28 years later unless they renewed the copyright with the U.S. copyright office within 28 years of its first publication. To determine if a renewal was filed in 1978 or later (for material first published between 1950 and 1963), you can search the comprehensive U.S. Copyright Office Online Search. To determine if a renewal was filed before 1978 (for material first published before 1950), you can search the Stanford's Copyright Renewal Database, which lists only books, or the longer and less user-friendly Project Gutenberg listing for all materials. If the copyright was not renewed, the work is PD. (See w:Template:PD-US-not renewed.)