Quoting, anthologising or adapting an older work? Enter its US publication year and get a verdict with the reason: expired, expired for lack of renewal or notice, or still protected and until when. As of 2026, everything first published before 1931 is in the US public domain.
Enter the year the work was first published in the United States. If the answer depends on copyright notice or renewal, the follow-up questions appear. Rules follow the Cornell (Hirtle) copyright term chart.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules shown are for works published in the United States; unpublished works, sound recordings and foreign works follow different rules. When money or reputation is on the line, consult a publishing attorney.
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The rules are taken from the Cornell University LibraryCopyright Term and the Public Domain chart(the Hirtle chart), the standard reference librarians use. For works published in the United States:
A public domain verdict means the text of that edition is free to quote, reprint, anthologise or adapt without permission or fees. It does not cover later material attached to it: a modern translation, an annotated or restored edition, or a sound recording of the work each carry their own separate rights. Quote from the original published text. If you are quoting an in-copyright work instead, thepermission wizard walks the fair use and licensing questions category by category.
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