International Copyright
Literature
Photographs
100
A book written in 1925 by a U.K. author is in the public domain in both the U.K. and the U.S.
Yes:
- In the U.K., the copyright term is life + 70 years, so if the author died before 1955, the book is in the public domain.
- In the U.S., works published before 1978 are protected for 95 years, meaning works published in 1925 would enter the U.S. public domain in 2021.
100
Kansas Statute § 72-3115 (2023)
Yes, government edicts, including state level, are not protected by copyright.
100
Stamp created in 1907.
Yes, copyright term has expired.
200
A work that is in the public domain in the U.S. can be freely used in any country, regardless of that country’s copyright laws.
No, a work that is in the public domain in the U.S. could still be under copyright in another country (like France or Germany) depending on that country’s laws.
200
Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, published in 1869, translated into English by in 2007.
No, the translation is still under copyright protection.
200
Photo by Pete Souza, White House photographer, in 2011.
Yes, works by U.S. government employees as part of their official duties are considered public domain.
300
A photograph taken in Mexico in 1940 by a Mexican photographer.
No, their copyright term is author's lifetime + 100 years.
300
State of Michigan Executive Directive by Governor Gretchen Whitmer
No, even though this is from a government entity, it is owned by the state and is not a federal document.
300
Poster by J. Howard Miller published in 1942 without a copyright notice.
Yes, because it was published between 1930 and 1977 without a copyright notice.
400
A photograph taken in 1930 in Italy, first published in the U.S. in 1955 without a copyright notice.
No, even though it was taken in 1930, it wasn't published until 1955, so the 95 year copyright term would start then. It would be public domain in 2050.
- If no copyright notice was included in 1955, it should have entered the public domain immediately (because pre-1978 U.S. works required a copyright notice).
- But if the copyright was later restored under GATT/URAA (because Italy had longer copyright terms), it regained copyright in the U.S. in 1996.
- Even if a work should be public domain due to missing a copyright notice, GATT/URAA can pull it back into protection if it was still under copyright in its home country!
400
An author’s unpublished manuscript from 1910 that was first published in 2020.
No (Unpublished works can have longer copyright protection, depending on the circumstances.)
400
A photograph taken by a U.S. government contractor.
No, a contractor is not an employee of the U.S. government.
500
A French photograph published in 1932 without copyright notice in the U.S. The photographer died in 1948. France has a copyright term of life of author + 50 years (before 1995).
No, since the photo was still under copyright in its home country by the 1996 GATT/URAA, copyright would be restored. Since it was published before 1978, the copyright would be restored to 95 years after the original publication date. It will be in the public domain in 2027.
500
"Mister 880" by Edmund Pearson (1950) published with a copyright notice.
Yes, the copyright was not renewed after 28 years, so it entered the public domain in 1979.
500
A photograph taken in 1927 by an unknown photographer.
It depends.
Anonymous works have different copyright terms. If the photo was published in 1927 but the authorship is unknown, then it would be 95 years after publication and PD in 2022.
However, if it was never published, then the copyright term is 120 years since creation.