Copyright Expiration Checker

Determine whether a work is still under copyright protection or has entered the public domain, based on U.S. Copyright Office Circular 15A rules.

How it works: Answer a few questions about the work's publication date, authorship type, and renewal status. The wizard applies the applicable duration rules from 17 U.S.C. §§ 302–304 and Copyright Office Circular 15A to calculate the expiration date.

When was this work first protected by copyright?

Different rules apply depending on when the work was created or first published. Works created on or after January 1, 1978 are governed by the Copyright Act of 1976.