U.S. public domain

The U.S. public domain consists of creative works—such as books, music, movies, and art—that are no longer protected by copyright law. This means anyone can use, share, modify, or distribute these works without needing permission or paying royalties. Works typically enter the public domain after a set period, often the author's lifetime plus 70 years or a specific number of years from publication, depending on the type of work and when it was created. Once in the public domain, these works become freely accessible to the public for any purpose.