Is The Pursuit of God in the Public Domain in the United States?

The original 1948 text of The Pursuit of God is listed by Project Gutenberg as public domain in the United States. That is a useful, concrete status indicator for the underlying text. It should not be confused with a claim that every modern edition or every item bundled with the book is free of copyright restrictions.

However, that does not mean every modern edition, cover, foreword, annotation, audiobook, study guide, or typeset layout is public domain.

This article provides general information, not legal advice.

What is public domain?

A work in the public domain is not protected by copyright in the relevant jurisdiction, which generally means the original text can be reproduced, adapted, or republished without obtaining permission from a copyright owner.

So the question should always be:

Public domain where?

This article addresses the United States.

Why is The Pursuit of God treated as public domain in the U.S.?

The book was published in 1948, but the publication year by itself is not enough to decide the copyright status of a U.S. work from that era. Older U.S. works were governed by historical notice and renewal rules that differ from the rules for works created today.

For this particular text, Project Gutenberg’s catalog entry explicitly identifies The Pursuit of God as public domain in the USA. That is the clearest practical source used here for the status of the underlying 1948 text.

The U.S. Copyright Office explains the historical renewal system for pre-1978 works. Readers making a commercial or international rights decision should verify the exact material they plan to use rather than infer rights from the book’s age alone.

Does that include Samuel Zwemer’s introduction?

The Project Gutenberg edition reproduces Zwemer’s original introduction as part of the 1948 publication.

If you are republishing material, however, it is wise to verify each component rather than assuming everything bundled with a public-domain text has the same legal history.

What is not automatically public domain?

A modern edition can contain newly created material protected by copyright.

Examples include:

a modern foreword;
editor’s notes;
chapter summaries;
annotations;
study questions;
discussion guides;
original charts;
modern introductions;
photographs;
cover art;
custom typography or design;
newly recorded audiobook performances;
original Scripture commentary.

The public-domain status of Tozer’s original text does not transfer ownership of someone else’s new material to the public.

What about modern Scripture translations?

This is another important distinction.

Many modern Bible translations are copyrighted.

A publisher who combines a public-domain Tozer text with extended quotations from a modern translation may need to follow that translation’s quotation policy.

Public domain in one source does not cancel copyright in another.

Can someone create an annotated edition?

Generally, public-domain status of the underlying text allows new editions and adaptations in the United States, but the publisher remains responsible for:

accurately identifying Tozer’s original text;
not falsely attributing new material to Tozer;
respecting copyrights in added material;
avoiding misleading claims about endorsement;
following trademark and platform rules;
verifying rights outside the United States if distributing internationally.

For practical editorial integrity, see How Can Readers Recognize Tozer’s Original Text in Modern Editions? and How Can You Tell Whether an Annotated Edition Preserves Tozer’s Original Meaning?.

Why do modern editions still cost money?

Public-domain text does not mean publishing is costless.

A publisher may add value through:

editing;
formatting;
indexing;
study tools;
new introductions;
printing;
distribution;
cover design;
audio production.

You are paying for the edition and its added work, not necessarily for exclusive ownership of Tozer’s 1948 words.

A practical checklist

Before reusing material, ask:

Is this sentence part of Tozer’s original 1948 text?
Is it from Zwemer’s original introduction?
Is it a modern editor’s note?
Is it from a copyrighted Bible translation?
Is it part of a modern study guide?
Is the cover image or design copyrighted?
Will the material be distributed outside the United States?

That simple separation prevents many mistakes.

Go deeper

If you want a modern study edition rather than a plain public-domain text, see The Pursuit of God: A Modern Study Guide to A. W. Tozer’s Classic on Abiding in Christ and Making Disciples on Amazon. The added study material is separate from Tozer’s original text.