How does one know if an image is in the “public domain”?
“Public domain” is a complex and abstract concept. As a general rule, most works enter the public domain because of old age. This includes any work published in the United States before 1923. Another large block of works are in the public domain because they were published before 1964 and copyright was not renewed. (Renewal was a requirement for works published before 1978.) A smaller group of works fell into the public domain because they were published without copyright notice (copyright notice was necessary for works published in the United States before March 1, 1989). Some works may be treated as if they are in the public domain because the owner has expressed a desire for the public to use the works without restriction, limitation or the need for permission from anyone. The rules establishing the public domain status for each of these types of works differ. For more information on issues related to works in the public domain please visit Stanford University Libraries Copyright an
