â Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 25, 2017. Yeah, so, why did he like that subtweet of the Grinchâs tiny heart? Does he think anything Christmas-related, no matter how tangential, must be fought for at all costs? Would he have liked a picture of Tim Allen in The Santa Clause? What about a still from Die Hard?
If the Copyright Office has no confirmation that a composer or song-writer is still living and it has been 75 years since the first copyright protection order was granted, or 100 years since the recognized creation date of the piece, it becomes public domain.
Every book and artwork created before the introduction of copyright is in the public domain. In the United States copyright begins with the Constitution in 1787. Every work created before 1787 is under public domain, and every work that was copyrighted and has had its copyright expired is also under public domain.