BZ/Rights & Permissions, Inc. - Music Clearance, Film Clip Clearance, Rights Clearance/Licensing Rights of all kinds

The Most Comprehensive Rights Clearance Service In the Business

Telephone: (212) 924-3000 Fax: (212) 924-2525 info@bzrights.com

BZ/Public Domain

PD or not PD?

Why is it of value to know if a work is in the Public Domain? Because anything in the Public Domain can be used FREE!

Copyright law covers a vast treasury of American creativity. Over the years the copyright law has been changed. Some things you'd think would be in the Public Domain are not; others you'd expect to be protected are freely available.

If a copyrighted work – music, a photograph or a film – enters the Public Domain, it means that work no longer belongs to anyone and it is available to the public at large to use and/or to change in any way they wish, without any need to obtain permission or pay a fee.

BZ/Rights specializes in the Public Domain arena (art to literature to music) and has helped many a producer save a good deal of money by determining what is PD and what isn't, and by recommending when a PD alternative might be appropriate.

The Public Domain represents an enormous, valuable treasure for producers of all kinds.

Did you know what Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Hercules all have in common? They are top-grossing Disney movies – and all of the stories and characters are in the Public Domain.

In October of 1998, The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act was passed, extending the term of all works under copyright in the United States for 20 years. All works already in the Public Domain stay there. There are no reversions. Nothing new will go into the Public Domain for another 20 years. The twenty year period began on January 1, 1999 and will end (if no further laws are passed) on December 31, 2018.

Laws that govern Public Domain differ from country to country. The information provided above applies to the Public Domain in the United States.

If you would like to know more about the subject of Public Domain, we offer a free BZ/Brief on this fascinating topic. Check it out at BZ/Free Info.

As a special service to the industry, The BZ/Rights Stuff has also published:

The Mini-Encyclopedia of Public Domain Songs

We've received so many inquiries regarding the Public Domain status of music that we decided to publish a book entitled The Mini-Encyclopedia of Public Domain Songs – a listing of over 800 popular songs, all of them classics, which are now in the Public Domain in the United States. The book's emphasis is on popular music and includes selections by Berlin, Kern, Gershwin, et cetera. Listings are by title and category. Categories include Popular Music, Christmas Music, Classical Selections, Children's Songs, Folk Songs, International Favorites, Songs for Special Occasions, Marches, and a whole lot more – much more. The book contains death dates for composers, enabling users to determine the copyright status of the compositions throughout the world. The Mini-Encyclopedia is a handy, terrific resource. For more information about The Mini-Encyclopedia of Public Domain Songs, see the Public Domain songs section. If you want an order form click here.

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