Millions of books
belong to everyone.
When a book's copyright runs out, it enters the public domain. Anyone can print it, adapt it, translate it, record it, or build a business on it. Here's how it works, and how to check any title.
Copyright doesn't last forever.
Copyright gives an author exclusive rights for a limited time. When that time ends, the work becomes part of the public domain: nobody owns it, and everyone can use it for anything, including commercial projects, without asking permission or paying royalties.
The catch is that the clock runs differently depending on when a book was published and where you are. Here are the rules of thumb.
United States
1930 & earlierBooks published in 1930 or before are public domain. Every January 1st, another year joins them. Books from 1931–1963 are free too if the copyright was never renewed, which happened more often than you'd think.
UK & European Union
Life + 70Copyright lasts for the author's lifetime plus 70 years. If the author died in 1955 or earlier, their works are generally public domain there.
Canada
Life + 70*Canada moved to life + 70 in 2022, but it wasn't retroactive. Works by authors who died in 1971 or earlier stayed in the public domain.
Rules of thumb only. Unpublished works, anonymous works, and works made for hire follow different rules.
Recently joined the US public domain
On January 1, 2026, books published in 1930 became free to use in the US, including:
Heads up: character names and series titles like "Nancy Drew" can still be protected as trademarks, even when the original text is free.
Pretty much anything.
A public domain book is raw material. You can use the text exactly as it is, or build something new on top of it.
Republish & sell it
Print your own edition in paperback, hardcover, or ebook and keep the profits.
Annotate it
Add study notes, historical context, a biography, or a reader's guide. Your additions are yours.
Illustrate it
Create a fully illustrated edition, a coloring book, or a gift edition with new art.
Translate it
Bring a classic to a new language. Your translation gets its own fresh copyright.
Record an audiobook
Narrate it yourself and publish on audiobook platforms, podcasts, or YouTube.
Adapt it
Turn it into a screenplay, stage play, graphic novel, game, or modern retelling.
Abridge or modernize
Simplify the language for kids, English learners, or busy readers.
Build collections
Curate themed anthologies: ghost stories, love letters, war poetry, early sci-fi.
Make products
Quote it on prints, mugs, tees, journals, and planners without licensing fees.
Is it in the public domain?
Type a book title (and the author, if you know it). We check library databases, then our AI explains what it finds.
Turn free classics into a real publishing business.
Thousands of beloved books are free to publish. Most people who try it get their books blocked by Amazon. Learn how to create editions readers actually want, and that KDP actually approves.
- How to find public domain titles with real demand and low competition
- The current KDP rules for public domain books, and how to stay on the right side of them
- Annotations, illustrations, and translations that make your edition stand out
- Covers, titles, and keywords that sell
- Paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audiobook: stacking formats for more income
Amazon KDP's public domain basics
See Amazon's official "Publishing Public Domain Content" help page for the full rules. Income is not guaranteed; results depend on your effort and the market.
The best free libraries
Frequently asked
Can I really sell a public domain book?
Yes. Public domain means no one owns the copyright, so you can sell copies. But marketplaces like Amazon have their own rules, which usually require you to add something original to your edition.
If a book is public domain, is every edition free to use?
No. The original text is free, but a modern translation, introduction, footnotes, cover art, or illustrations added later may still be copyrighted. Work from an original edition or a source that's clearly public domain.
Can I use the characters from a public domain book?
The characters as they appear in the public domain book are free to use. Traits added in later, still-copyrighted works are not. Names and logos can also be trademarks, so be careful with branding.
What about movies based on public domain books?
The book being free doesn't make the movie free. Film adaptations have their own copyrights, so don't use stills, scripts, or original elements from them.
Is the AI checker always right?
No. It's a fast first check, not a legal opinion. Copyright status can hinge on details like renewals, first publication country, and later revisions. Confirm with official records or an attorney before you publish.