Using Bram’s work

Bram’s original published Dracula is in the public domain in the UK and many other countries. You can use that original text where it is out of copyright without seeking an Estate licence. Check the version: a modern translation, introduction, illustration, recording or adaptation can have its own rights. Credit Bram Stoker and identify the edition you quote.

No single answer covers every item. Original published works and later adaptations have different histories. Some previously unpublished material may remain protected, including under the UK’s rules for pre-1989 unpublished works. See the UK Intellectual Property Office guidance on duration of copyright. Identify the work, publication date and territory before deciding.

Identify the exact image and read its credit. A historic portrait, the photograph or scan of it, and a modern digital reproduction may have different rights or supply conditions. Contact the holding collection or named rights holder. A family-owned object does not necessarily mean the Estate owns every photograph of it. Send us the image reference, intended use, publication format, territory and deadline if you need help finding the right contact.

The public-domain status of a novel does not determine whether a proposed brand or product uses a registered trade mark. Protection depends on territory, registration, classes and use. Contact the Estate with details of the proposed branding; do not imply an Estate partnership or approval without written agreement.

An event listing, link or reproduction on this site does not establish endorsement. If you are unsure about a product claiming to be official or authorised by the Estate, send its link and the wording of the claim through Contact. We can confirm whether an Estate association exists; we cannot determine every third party’s rights from a label alone.

Please include the material or image reference, the use you propose, the relevant countries and your timetable. See Legal for the website notice and Credits and acknowledgements for source collections.