Which item would be public domain due to expiration of copyright registration?

• A. Works created by the US government
• B. Abandoned works
• C. Works in which the copyright registration has expired
• D. Historical facts & theories

Answer: (C)

Public domain status kicks in when the copyright term has ended. Once protection runs out, anyone can use the work without permission. The best example here is works in which the copyright registration has expired, because those have reached the end of their protection period and are free to use.

The other possibilities would come from different reasons for being public domain, not from expiration of the term. Works created by the U.S. government are public domain by statute, regardless of term. Abandoned works don’t automatically drop copyright protections—the author may still hold rights unless the term has expired or the work is otherwise unprotected. Historical facts and theories aren’t protectable by copyright in the first place; facts and ideas aren’t subject to copyright.