Is It Copyrighted?
- Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States
A chart of when works fall into the public domain, based on Lolly Gasaway’s When Works Pass Into the Public Domain. - Digital Copyright Slider
An interactive tool that helps determine whether a work is copyrighted or in the public domain
Searches for Copyright
- Copyright Records from the U.S. Copyright Office
- Orphaned Works Database (Stanford University’s Copyright Renewal Database)
This database makes searchable the copyright renewal records received by the US Copyright Office between 1950 and 1993 for books published in the US between 1923 and 1963. Note that the database includes ONLY US Class A (book) renewals. - Copyright Clearance Center
A licenser that helps get permission to copy copyrighted works - Music Publishers’ Association Copyright Resource Center Copyright Search
A guide guide for locating the publisher of a piece of music from the Music Publishers’ Association
United States Government Resources
- United States Copyright Office
See their FAQ
Search Copyright Records - Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians (Circular 21)
From the Unites States Copyright Office - Copyright Law of the United States of America
From the U.S. Copyright Office.- Also available through the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University.
Fair Use
- Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and the World Wide Web
from the University of Maryland University College - Section 108 Spinner
An interactive tool that helps libraries and archives determine whether material can be reproduced
Especially for Educators
- The Copyright Site a site for Educators by Dr. Vivian Wright at the University of Alabama