UCSF Guides: Copyright at UCSF: Public Domain / Duration

What is the Public Domain?

If a work is within the public domain, there are no ownership rights associated with it.

Anyone may reproduce, redistribute, or adapt the work. There is no need to seek permission for its use.

Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States
Peter B. Hirtle, Cornell Copyright Information Center. http://www.copyright.cornell.edu
When Works Pass Into the Public Domain
Laura Gasaway, University of North Carolina
Digital Copyright Slider
Use the digital copyright slider to determine copyright duration
A Defense of the Public Domain: A Scholarly Essay
Gasaway, Laura N. Law Library Journal Vol. 101:4 [2009-25]

HathiTrust Digital Library
HathiTrust began in 2008 as a collaboration of the thirteen universities of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, the University of California system, and the University of Virginia.
keywords: University of California

Public Domain Resources
A comprehensive list of public domain resources from the Columbia University Libraries/Informations Centers Copyright Advisory Office.
Library of Congress Photos on Flikr
Creative Commons
Search the Creative Commons for materials.
The Commons
A large collection of digital photographs.
Public Domain Sherpa
Information on finding and using public domain materials in the United States.
E-Books on the Web
A multi-search engine for books in the public domain (University of Buffalo). NOTE: the search engine also searches Amazon.com, Digital Book Index, and Google Book Search. If books are under copyright restriction you may only see previews or snippets of a book.