To be considered public domain, when must a printed article have been published by?

To be considered public domain, a printed article must have been published before 1923. This date marks a significant threshold in U.S. copyright law, as works published before this year are no longer protected by copyright and can be freely used by the public. In the United States, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus a set number of years (usually 70 years), which means that any works published before 1923 are outside the protection of copyright.

This understanding is vital for anyone working with historical texts, research, and education, as it enables the use of these works without the need for permission or the payment of royalties. The other dates provided do not align with the criteria for public domain: 1940, 1980, and 2000 all fall within periods when copyright would still apply to most works, meaning those published during these years would still be under copyright restrictions depending on the specific circumstances of their creation.