Commons:Hirtle chart

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Shortcut: COM:HIRTLE

This is a Commons tags translation table of the chart created by Peter B. Hirtle of Cornell University, now uploaded as this PDF document. It is a best effort to guide people in determining when media will enter the public domain in the United States.

For further information about US copyright rules on Commons, see Commons:Copyright rules by territory/United States.

Beware:

• Use at your own risk

Works except sound recordings and architecture

This table is for image and text works. See also the separate sections for Sound recordings and Architectural works.

Never published, Never registered works
Type of work	Copyright Term	What was in the public domain in the US as of 1 January 2026	Commons copyright tag
Unpublished works	Known author with a known date of death: 70 years after the death of author.	Works from author who died before 1956	{{PD-US-unpublished}}
Unpublished anonymous and pseudonymous works, and works made for hire (corporate authorship) Unpublished works when the death date of the author is not known	120 years from creation	Created before 1906	{{PD-US-unpublished}}
Works Registered or First Published in the U.S.
Date of Publication	Conditions	Copyright Term	Commons copyright tag
Before 1931	None	None. In the public domain due to copyright expiration	{{PD-US-expired}}
1931 through 1977	Published without a copyright notice	None. In the public domain due to failure to comply with required formalities	{{PD-US-no notice}}
1978 through 28 February 1989	Published without notice, and without subsequent registration within 5 years Special case: Beginning November 1981, under a court ruling, "an untitled motion picture or other audiovisual work whose duration is sixty seconds or less" was allowed to merely give notice "that is embodied in the copies by a photomechanical or electronic process, in such a position that it ordinarily would appear to the projectionist or broadcaster when preparing the work for performance." In practice, this typically makes it almost impossible to determine that the publisher of any such work did not provide such notice unless you have the original distribution media at hand.	None. In the public domain due to failure to comply with required formalities	{{PD-US-1978-89}}
1978 through 28 February 1989	Published without notice, but with subsequent registration within 5 years	Known author with a known date of death: 70 years after the death of author. Other works: 95 years from publication OR 120 years from creation, whichever expires first	{{PD-old-70}} n/a (earliest 2074) OR {{PD-US-unpublished}}
1931 through 1963	Published with notice but copyright was not renewed	None. In the public domain due to copyright expiration	{{PD-US-not renewed}}
1931 through 1963	Published with notice and the copyright was renewed	95 years after publication date	n/a (earliest 2027)
1964 through 1977	Published with notice	95 years after publication date	n/a (earliest 2060)
1978 through 28 February 1989	Created after 1977 and published with notice	Known author with a known date of death: 70 years after the death of author Other works: 95 years from publication OR 120 years from creation, whichever expires first	n/a (earliest 2049), but after 2049 either: {{PD-old-70}} n/a (earliest 2074) OR n/a (earliest 2099)
1978 through 28 February 1989	Created before 1978 and first published with notice in the specified period.	The greater of the term specified in the previous entry or 31 December 2047	n/a (earliest 2049), but after 2049 either: {{PD-old-70}} n/a (earliest 2074) {{PD-US-unpublished}}
1 March 1989 through 2002	Created after 1977	Known author with a known date of death: 70 years after the death of author. Other works: 95 years from publication OR 120 years from creation, whichever expires first	n/a (earliest 2049), but after 2049 either: {{PD-old-70}} n/a (earliest 2085) OR n/a (earliest 2098)
1 March 1989 through 2002	Created before 1978 and first published in this period	The greater of the term specified in the previous entry or 31 December 2047	n/a (earliest 2049), but after 2049 either: {{PD-old-70}} n/a (earliest 2085) OR {{PD-US-unpublished}}
2003 or later	None	Known author with a known date of death: 70 years after the death of author. Other works: 95 years from publication OR 120 years from creation, whichever expires first	{{PD-old-70}} n/a (earliest 2099) OR {{PD-US-unpublished}}
Anytime	Works prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person's official duties.	None. In the public domain in the United States (17 U.S.C. § 105)	One of the copyright templates in Category:PD-USGov license tags
Anytime	Works released into the public domain by the copyright holder.	None.	{{PD-self}} {{PD-user}} {{PD-author}}
Works First Published Outside the U.S. by citizens of foreign nations or U.S. Citizens Living Abroad. On Commons these cases also need to be free according to copyright terms in the country of publication. These terms are not part of this table.
Date of Publication	Conditions	Copyright Term	Commons copyright tag
Before 1931	None	In the public domain (But see first special case below)