Changes

The duration of U.S. copyright has changed several times.  It was 14 years as originally enacted, then doubled to 28 years, and an option for creators to renew that for another 28 years was added.  In 1976, Congress extended the duration of copyright to 75 years.  Two decades later, they added another 20 years.  Neither of these extensions applied to copyrights that had already expired, so anything published in the United States before 1923 is in the [[public domain]] in that country.<ref>http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/training/Hirtle_Public_Domain.htm</ref>  Also, photographs of paintings in the public domain would ordinarily not qualify for copyright protection either.<ref>''[[Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corp.]]''</ref>

The duration of U.S. copyright has changed several times.  It was 14 years as originally enacted, then doubled to 28 years, and an option for creators to renew that for another 28 years was added.  In 1976, Congress extended the duration of copyright to 75 years.  Two decades later, they added another 20 years.  Neither of these extensions applied to copyrights that had already expired, so anything published in the United States before 1923 is in the [[public domain]] in that country.<ref>http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/training/Hirtle_Public_Domain.htm</ref>  Also, photographs of paintings in the public domain would ordinarily not qualify for copyright protection either.<ref>''[[Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corp.]]''</ref>

Works that were published before March 1, 1989 required a copyright notice, such as the word "Copyright" or "&copy;", along with name of the copyright owner.<ref>http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter8/8-a.html</ref> (The approximation "(c)" was widely used, but invalid.) There are some narrow exceptions to this rule, and the lack of a notice on an unauthorized copy does not entitle one to copy the work.  Works published after that are protected by copyright laws even if they lack the notice.  Registration of copyrights is optional, but you need to have the work registered to sue for damages.  These changes were mandated by the [[Berne Convention]], an international copyright regime.

Works that were published before March 1, 1989 required a copyright notice, in the form of the word "Copyright", or its abbreviation "Copr.", or the copyright symbol, "&copy;", along with name of the copyright owner and the year of first publication.<ref>http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter8/8-a.html</ref> (The approximation "(c)" was widely used, but invalid.) There are some narrow exceptions to this rule, and the lack of a notice on an unauthorized copy does not entitle one to copy the work.  Works published after that are protected by copyright laws even if they lack the notice.  Registration of copyrights is optional, but you need to have the work registered to sue for damages.  These changes were mandated by the [[Berne Convention]], an international copyright regime.

All court decisions and statutes, whether federal, state or local, are in the public domain and may be fully copied.

All court decisions and statutes, whether federal, state or local, are in the public domain and may be fully copied.