Q. What kind of material is in the public domain?

“Public domain” refers to materials that are not protected by copyright and can, therefore, be used freely. Material in this category includes:

1. Works with expired copyright (generally speaking, items published before 1923 are in the public domain);
2. Works not copyrightable or protected by copyright;
3. Works produced by a federal government employee in the course of his or her job;
4. Works clearly denoted to be in the public domain.