Frequently Asked Questions: Newspapers, Periodicals, Comic Books

As librarians, the members of the reference staff cannot provide authoritative legal advice about copyright law.  However, here are some general guidelines.  

If your material was published in the United States and is more than 95 years old there is a strong probability that it is in the public domain.  However, there are exceptions sometimes based on the source. 

If an item older than 95 years was discovered in an online database, the publisher of the database may have a copyright interest in the material.  There are also “fair use” provisions in copyright law which allow for the republishing of small amounts of material from a source.  It should be kept in mind that materials published in other countries will likely fall under the jurisdiction of the copyright law of that country.  For more information, please visit: Using Items from the Library’s Website: Understanding Copyright

For authoritative information about copyright law it is recommended that researchers contact the Copyright Office or consult with other legal advisors who specialize in copyright law.