Public domain means that the work is free for everyone to use, copy, and share. A work is in the public domain if it has expired or been abandoned by its creator, or if it is not covered by copyright law.
Some works are in the public domain because they were never subject to copyright protection in the first place. This includes works of authors who died more than 70 years ago.
Works that were published before January 1, 1923, are also in the public domain.
Some works are in the public domain because their copyright has expired. For example, works that were created in the early 1900s and have not been renewed may have their copyright expire in 2020.
Works that are not in the public domain may be protected by copyright if their creator has granted a specific permission to use their work. For example, a musician may grant permission to use their music for a movie soundtrack.
