Who holds the copyright on "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe?

July 18, 2018 3:16 PM

Is there a copyright holder for "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe? Or, is it in the public domain?
posted by John Borrowman to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

According to the US Copyright Office, "[A]ll works published in the United States before January 1, 1923, are in the public domain." Since this is well after the poem was published (the first authorized publication was in 1850, says Wikipedia), you're in the clear.
posted by Johnny Assay at 3:25 PM on July 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Given that Poe died in 1849 and his collected works are found on Project Gutenberg, it's pretty safe to say it's public domain now.
posted by Aleyn at 3:26 PM on July 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: It's safely in the public domain just about everywhere, but the answer to this kind of question varies by jurisdiction so it'd be helpful to mention that in the question (70 years after the death of the last living author is typical, clearly Poe died more than 70 years ago). Tvtropes.
posted by plep at 6:00 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]