US: "Works of unknown authors or where the author's death date is unknown are copyrighted until the shorter of 95 years since the first publication or 120 years since their creation"- See 17 USC 302
Licensing
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse
This work was never published prior to January 1, 2003, and is currently in the public domain in the United States because it meets one of the following conditions:
its author died before 1954;
the death date of its author is not known, and it was created before 1904;
it is an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, and it was created before 1904.
The above provisions are contained in 17 U.S.C.§ 303. See also this page for more information.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse
This UK artistic or literary work, of which the author is unknown and cannot be ascertained by reasonable enquiry, is in the public domain because it is one of the following:
A photograph, which has never previously been made available to the public (e.g. by publication or display at an exhibition) and which was taken more than 70 years ago (before 1 January 1954); or
A photograph, which was made available to the public (e.g. by publication or display at an exhibition) more than 70 years ago (before 1 January 1954); or
An artistic work other than a photograph (e.g. a painting), or a literary work, which was made available to the public (e.g. by publication or display at an exhibition) more than 70 years ago (before 1 January 1954).
This tag can be used only when the author cannot be ascertained by reasonable enquiry. If you wish to rely on it, please specify in the image description the research you have carried out to find who the author was. The above is all subject to any overriding publication right which may exist. In practice, publication right will often override the first of the bullet points listed.
Unpublished anonymous paintings remain in copyright until at least 1 January 2040. This tag does not apply to engravings or musical works. More information