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How to Find Public Domain Movies Online

Film copyrights are not forever. The owner of the movie must renew the copyright before it expires to retain ownership rights. When a copyright on a film is not renewed by the owner, the film becomes public domain. This means that there are no restrictions on where and under what circumstances the film can be used or shown. There are several websites that offer services for public domain films. Depending upon the site and the film, you can watch the movie on your computer, download it for future use, or obtain a hard copy on DVD or some other format. Below is a list of the top public domain movie websites and the services that they offer.

Things You'll Need

  • A computer
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Instructions

    • 1

      http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/public_domain.phpThis site has a number of movies available that you can watch for free right from your very own computer. As long as you don't mind watching a small screen, this is a great way to view movies you otherwise wouldn't be able to see. There are also plot summaries and user reviews for each film that may help you to decide if the movie is one that you would be interested in watching. For some films, the site has provided links to purchase a hard copy of the movie.

    • 2

      http://www.movieflix.com/This site has a number of different options available depending upon the movie you are looking for. Some titles are available to view or download for free. Others are available only to members of the service, which costs $9.95 per month. While a membership may be worth the fee, certain members only films may be available for free on other sites. Links are provided to purchase a hard copy of the movie and if available, the poster as well.

    • 3

      http://www.openflix.com/Some people don't enjoy watching movies on the computer. If you are only interested in buying a DVD, this site is for you. They offer hundreds of titles for sale on DVD, as well as plot summaries, reviews and helpful links to other sites. You can browse by director, actor or genre to find what you are looking for.

    • 4

      http://www.archive.orgThis extremely comprehensive online library includes a staggering number of films that you can stream or download--all for free. Music, books and video games are among the other files available on this diverse site. Industrial and goverment produced films can be found among the free movie collection. Also, check out the collection of foreign films in the open source section of the site.

    • 5

      http://www.publicdomainflicks.com/All movies here are downloadable for free. Each title comes in a variety of formats so that you can choose which type of file works best for you and your system. You can search through upwards of 2,000 titles if you are looking for something specific or browse alphabetically or by year released.

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