---
title: "Public Domain Books: What KDP Allows"
description: "What public domain means for books, how long US copyright lasts, KDP's rules for differentiated editions, and the royalty limits on public-domain titles."
url: "https://www.superebook.ai/glossary/public-domain"
updated: "2026-10-20"
---

# Public domain

**Definition.** A work in the public domain is no longer protected by copyright, usually because its term has run out, so anyone may reprint, adapt or sell it without permission. In the US, works created since 1978 are generally protected for the author's life plus 70 years, so most public-domain books are much older than that.

Sources checked October 20, 2026.

## How it works

KDP accepts public-domain books but may ask for proof, and where a free version is already in the Kindle Store it accepts only a differentiated edition: an original translation, original annotations, or ten or more original illustrations, with (Translated), (Annotated) or (Illustrated) in the title field and a short summary of what is original at the top of the description. Public-domain titles are paid at the lower ebook royalty only, can't join KDP Select, and aren't accepted for Expanded Distribution. Copyright terms differ between countries, which KDP reminds publishers of.

## An example

KDP's own example: "Pride and Prejudice (Annotated)" is an acceptable title for an edition with original notes on historical context, while "Pride and Prejudice (with an Introduction by...)" is not. The Copyright Office adds that copyright in a new edition covers only the new material: your annotations are yours, and the novel itself stays free for anyone else.

## Common mistakes

Assuming every old book is free to copy: a modern translation, introduction or illustrations in an old edition can still be under copyright. Counting a linked table of contents or tidier formatting as differentiation, which KDP says it isn't. And choosing the higher ebook royalty for an undifferentiated public-domain text.

## Questions

**Can I sell a public-domain book on KDP?** Yes, but if a free version is already in the Kindle Store, KDP only accepts a differentiated edition: translated, annotated, or with ten or more original illustrations, labeled as such in the title.

**How do I know a book is in the public domain?** Check its copyright term where you'll sell it. In the US the term depends on when the work was created and published; the Copyright Office's circular on duration explains the rules for older works.

## Sources

- [US Copyright Office: How Long Does Copyright Protection Last?](https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-duration.html): Life of the author plus 70 years for works created after January 1, 1978.
- [US Copyright Office: Circular 14, Copyright in Derivative Works and Compilations](https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ14.pdf): Copyright in a derivative work covers only the new material, never the public-domain work itself.
- [KDP: Publishing Public Domain Content](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200743940): Proof, differentiated editions, title labels, the description summary, what doesn't count, and varying copyright terms.
- [KDP: eBook Royalties](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200644210): Public-domain works limited to the 35% option unless substantially original.
- [KDP: Expanded Distribution](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45): Public-domain content not accepted by the distributors.

## Related terms

- [35% royalty option](https://www.superebook.ai/glossary/35-percent-royalty-option.md)
- [KDP Select](https://www.superebook.ai/glossary/kdp-select.md)
- [Expanded Distribution](https://www.superebook.ai/glossary/expanded-distribution.md)
- [AI-generated vs AI-assisted](https://www.superebook.ai/glossary/ai-generated-vs-ai-assisted.md)

## Read next

- [Sample books](https://www.superebook.ai/samples.md)
- [Can you sell AI-generated ebooks?](https://www.superebook.ai/guides/can-you-sell-ai-generated-ebooks.md)
- [All glossary terms](https://www.superebook.ai/glossary.md)