# Public-domain archive films (Prelinger) and how to use them > The Internet Archive holds hundreds of thousands of films marked public domain or Creative Commons, including the Prelinger Archives: thousands of 20th-century industrial, educational and advertising films whose public-domain status is stated by the collection itself. Most other uploads carry a licence chosen by the uploader, which nobody checks, so verify them before relying on them. Either way, the people and brands in old footage never signed releases: use it for documentary and editorial work, and be careful in ads. Licensing guide, updated 2026-10-28. Where public-domain archive footage comes from, why the Prelinger Archives differ from other Internet Archive uploads, and how to edit old film. ## Why so much old film is public domain In the United States, works published in 1930 or earlier are now in the public domain. Many later films joined them because, under the law before 1978, copyright had to be claimed with a notice and renewed after 28 years; films published without a notice, or never renewed, lost their protection. Industrial, educational and sponsored films were often made for a single client and never renewed, which is why so many of them are free to use today. Works made by the US government, including many wartime and public-information films, were never copyrighted at all. ## The Prelinger Archives The Prelinger Archives are a collection of "ephemeral" films (industrial, educational, advertising and amateur films) assembled by the archivist Rick Prelinger. Around ten thousand of them are on the Internet Archive, covering roughly 1903 to the 1980s: assembly lines and kitchens, cars and highways, schools and civil defence, cities and suburbs. Because the collection itself states that these films are in the public domain, Video Assets Server treats their licence as stated by the source. ## Everything else on the Internet Archive Anyone can upload a film to the Internet Archive and pick its licence, and the Archive doesn't verify it. Most uploads are honest, but some modern films and TV recordings carry a public-domain mark they shouldn't. Video Assets Server only searches items whose licence is CC0, public domain or CC BY(-SA), leaves out TV captures, trailers and fan uploads, and caps uploader-chosen licences at **Unclear: check the terms**. Before you rely on one, check the item's description for the original producer and year, and whether the film plausibly entered the public domain. ## People and brands in old film Copyright is not the only right in a film. The people in a 1950s newsreel or home movie never signed a model release, and the brands on its shop fronts are still trademarks. That is why archive footage carries the **editorial** flag: perfect for documentaries, essays and history channels, risky for an ad that uses a stranger's face to sell something. ## Working with archive footage in a modern edit - Expect standard-definition transfers, 4:3 frames, film grain, flicker and black-and-white. Pillarbox rather than stretch. - Films start with titles and countdown leaders: skip in, or let the [sequence builder](https://video.shep.bot/sequence) set the in-point. - Frame rates vary (18, 24, 25 or 29.97 fps transfers); conform them to your timeline. - Download the MP4 derivative for editing; the original files can be large or in older formats. ## Questions **Do I need to credit Prelinger films?** Public-domain films need no credit by law. Crediting the Prelinger Archives and the Internet Archive is good practice and helps others find the material. **Why do archive clips start with title cards and countdowns?** They are whole films, not stock clips. Skip into the film to find the shot you need; the sequence builder starts long archive films part-way in for this reason. **What resolution are archive films?** Usually standard definition, often 480p or smaller, in 4:3. Pillarbox them in a 16:9 edit, or crop if the framing allows, and don't expect 4K. **Can I upload a public-domain film to YouTube?** You may, but automated systems sometimes match public-domain footage that someone else has claimed. Keep the source page link so you can dispute a claim. ## Try it - [Prelinger films](https://video.shep.bot/search?q=prelinger&providers=internetarchive) - [Newsreels](https://video.shep.bot/search?q=newsreel&category=archive.newsreel) - [1950s footage](https://video.shep.bot/search?q=1950s&category=archive) ## Collections - [Prelinger and public-domain archive films](https://video.shep.bot/footage/prelinger-archive-films.md): Free archive films: Prelinger educational, industrial and advertising films, home movies and early cinema, from the Internet Archive and Wikimedia Commons. - [Public-domain newsreels and documentary footage](https://video.shep.bot/footage/public-domain-newsreels.md): Free newsreels and documentary films from the Internet Archive and Wikimedia Commons: wartime, public information and news footage, with year. ## Related guides - [Editorial vs commercial: model releases and logos in stock footage](https://video.shep.bot/guides/editorial-vs-commercial-footage.md): Why a free clip can still be editorial-only: model releases, property releases, logos and insignia, and how to tell if footage is safe for an ad. - [Free stock footage for commercial use: what the licences mean](https://video.shep.bot/guides/free-stock-footage-commercial-use.md): Which free stock video you can use in ads, client work and monetised videos: CC0, public domain, CC BY, share-alike, NC, NASA and editorial footage. - [4K, 1080p, codecs and containers: picking the right stock video file](https://video.shep.bot/guides/video-resolution-codecs-containers.md): Which rendition to download: resolution tiers, frame rates, H.264 vs VP9, MP4 vs WebM, file sizes, and why the master isn't always the best choice. - [How to credit CC BY video in your own videos](https://video.shep.bot/guides/credit-cc-by-video.md): The credit line a CC BY clip needs (title, author, source, licence, changes) and where to put it on YouTube, social posts and client work, with examples. ## Sources - [Prelinger Archives on the Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/prelinger) - [Internet Archive: moving image archive](https://archive.org/details/movies) - [U.S. Copyright Office: duration of copyright (Circular 15A)](https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf) This guide is practical information, not legal advice. --- Source: https://video.shep.bot/guides/prelinger-public-domain-films