thearchivist.funPublic domain and CC0
Public-domain status concerns a work's copyright position; CC0 is a tool intended to dedicate rights to the public domain as far as legally possible. They are not simply interchangeable labels for anything available online. Creative Commons distinguishes CC0 from its licenses and encourages useful source credit even when its terms do not require attribution. For an archive record, preserve the exact rights statement and who supplied it. Avoid declaring a work public domain solely because it is old, anonymous, or easy to download. A collection item may contain layers with different histories, such as a historical artwork photographed recently. Keep the source and stated basis visible, and treat uncertainty as a reason to investigate rather than to invent a permissive label. Rights review should match the intended use and relevant context.
Context and provenance
Related labels that require attention to the stated basis and the particular material.
Sources and evidence
Editorial review: 2026-09-23. New evidence may change this account.