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Copyright and Plagiarism: Public Domain

Information for authors, researchers, and faculty looking to publish scholarly works and join the scholarly communication community.

Public Domain

A product in the public domain can be shared without restriction. Works in the public domain include:

  • Most work produced by the United States Government
  • Works that have an expired copyright (i.e. 70 years after the creator's death)
  • Works created for the public domain (the creator gives others free reign to reuse or mix content using a Creative Commons license or puts it in the public domain)
  • An idea expressed in a work or a common fact

Most work produced by the United States government

BLM
Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management

Works that have an expired copyright

Pride and Prejudice

Works created for the public domain

Philosoraptor   

An idea expressed in a work or common facts

 

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