# BlackSlate

> BlackSlate is a research and workflow tool for film and television development teams, made by BlackSlate AI Ltd in the UK. It shows when works enter the public domain in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and New Zealand with the legal rule behind each date, sources true stories and other material to adapt, times projects to anniversaries and audience trends, and runs a development slate with a screenplay editor (BlackSlate for Writers). It is not legal advice.

Key facts: more than 36,000 public domain records; more than 25,000 true stories; more than 5,600 anniversaries from 2027 to 2034; 100 thematic debates; 50 untapped precincts. Unchecked US renewals are marked "Not verified". Pricing: Free, or Premium at $29 a month or $290 a year.

## Product
- [All features](https://blackslate.ai/features): every tool, grouped as Find, Time It, Shape It and Run It
- [Public Domain Rights](https://blackslate.ai/features/public-domain-rights): More than 36,000 works, each showing when it enters the public domain in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- [Untapped Stories](https://blackslate.ai/features/untapped-stories): More than 25,000 true stories, each with why it matters now and who would buy it.
- [Groundswell](https://blackslate.ai/features/groundswell): More than 2,400 stories drawn from online communities, scored for narrative and commercial pull.
- [Advance Reader](https://blackslate.ai/features/advance-reader): Books and other IP publishing soon, surfaced before the option market moves.
- [IP Scout](https://blackslate.ai/features/ip-scout): Upcoming books, podcasts and IP matched to your company's taste, refreshed daily.
- [Untapped Precincts](https://blackslate.ai/features/untapped-precincts): 50 professional worlds a returning series could live in, each with its story engine.
- [Milestones](https://blackslate.ai/features/milestones): Over 5,600 anniversaries between 2027 and 2034, ranked by how commissionable they look.
- [Industry News](https://blackslate.ai/features/industry-news): The week's industry stories, each with what it means for a UK producer.
- [Commissioner Briefs](https://blackslate.ai/features/commissioner-briefs): What UK commissioners are seeking, what they rarely buy, and how to pitch them.
- [Axiom Forecast](https://blackslate.ai/features/axiom-forecast): Cultural and audience trends scored for confidence, with the window in which each peaks.
- [Thematic Debates](https://blackslate.ai/features/thematic-debates): 100 arguments a story can be about, each set out as two answers.
- [BlackSlate for Writers](https://blackslate.ai/writers): A screenplay editor that formats to A4 or US Letter, imports Final Draft and compares drafts.
- [Emerging Talent](https://blackslate.ai/features/emerging-talent): Writers, directors and producers to know, with their festival records and where they are heading.
- [Casting](https://blackslate.ai/features/casting): Suggestions for every character in your project, with why each actor fits the part.
- [The Slate](https://blackslate.ai/features/the-slate): Projects, drafts and deal terms in one place, with a schedule and a writer tracker.
- [Script Submissions](https://blackslate.ai/features/script-submissions): Agents submit through their own portal; you triage, assign a reader and reply.
- [Options and Deal Terms](https://blackslate.ai/features/options-and-deal-terms): Every option and deal, with fees, expiries and the history of every clause.
- [Tax Credits](https://blackslate.ai/features/tax-credits): Production incentives across many countries, compared before you lock a location.
- [BlackSlate for Writers](https://blackslate.ai/writers): screenplay editor, A4 or US Letter, Final Draft import, draft comparison
- [Pricing](https://blackslate.ai/pricing): Free and Premium plans

## Guides
- [How to check if a book is in the public domain](https://blackslate.ai/guides/is-this-book-in-the-public-domain): A step-by-step check for whether a book is in the public domain in the UK, US and beyond: death dates, publication dates, renewals, and the traps.
- [US public domain rules explained: 95 years, renewals and 1978](https://blackslate.ai/guides/us-public-domain-rules-explained): Why US copyright runs from publication for older works, how the 95-year rule and renewals work, and what changed in 1978, explained for producers.
- [UK copyright explained: life plus 70, films and editions](https://blackslate.ai/guides/uk-copyright-life-plus-70-explained): How long copyright lasts in the UK for books, plays, films and published editions, how the 70 years are counted, and the exceptions producers miss.
- [Public domain dates by country: US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand](https://blackslate.ai/guides/public-domain-dates-by-country): How the public domain is calculated in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and why the same book can be free in one and protected in another.
- [Public domain is not the same as clear: trademarks, later works and restored rights](https://blackslate.ai/guides/public-domain-is-not-the-same-as-clear): A public domain book can still carry risk: later works, trademarks, translations and restored copyrights. How Sherlock Holmes and Winnie-the-Pooh show the traps.
- [How to option a book for film or TV](https://blackslate.ai/guides/how-to-option-a-book): What a book option is, how option fees, periods and purchase prices work, who to approach for the rights, and what to check before you sign.
- [Life rights and true stories: what UK producers need to know](https://blackslate.ai/guides/life-rights-and-true-stories-uk): Do you need life rights to make a true story in the UK? What life rights deals buy, the defamation and privacy risks, and how to reduce them.
- [How UK TV commissioning works](https://blackslate.ai/guides/how-uk-tv-commissioning-works): How UK broadcasters and streamers commission programmes, who commissioners are, how independent producers pitch them, and what terms of trade mean for rights.
- [Anniversary programming: how to time a project to an anniversary](https://blackslate.ai/guides/anniversary-programming-guide): Why broadcasters commission around anniversaries, how far ahead to develop, and how to judge whether an anniversary will actually get a commission.
- [Screenplay format: A4 or US Letter?](https://blackslate.ai/guides/screenplay-format-a4-vs-us-letter): Should a screenplay be formatted to A4 or US Letter? Page sizes, page count, what UK and US readers expect, and how to switch without breaking your script.
- [What does a development executive do?](https://blackslate.ai/guides/what-does-a-development-executive-do): What a development executive does day to day in film and TV: finding material, working with writers, building a slate and getting projects to a green light.

## Tools and reference
- [Public domain calculator](https://blackslate.ai/tools/public-domain-calculator): enter an author's death year and publication year to see public domain dates in six territories
- [Public Domain Day 2027](https://blackslate.ai/public-domain-day-2027): what enters the public domain on 1 January 2027, territory by territory
- [Glossary](https://blackslate.ai/glossary): film and TV development and rights terms
- [What's new](https://blackslate.ai/changelog)
- [Press kit](https://blackslate.ai/press)

## Trust and legal
- [How we treat data](https://blackslate.ai/how-we-treat-data): sources, verification and AI use
- [Security](https://blackslate.ai/security)
- [Terms of Service](https://blackslate.ai/legal/terms): The terms that govern use of BlackSlate, BlackSlate for Writers and the agent portal: accounts, subscriptions, your content, disclaimers and liability.
- [Privacy Policy](https://blackslate.ai/legal/privacy): How BlackSlate AI Ltd collects, uses, stores and protects personal data across the website, the producer app and BlackSlate for Writers, and your rights.
- [Cookie Policy](https://blackslate.ai/legal/cookies): The cookies and similar technologies BlackSlate uses on its website and apps, why each is needed, and how to change your choices at any time.
- [Acceptable Use Policy](https://blackslate.ai/legal/acceptable-use): What you may and may not do with BlackSlate: content you upload, use of our data, contact with people in our datasets, security testing and automated access.
- [Data Processing Addendum](https://blackslate.ai/legal/dpa): The data processing terms that apply when BlackSlate processes personal data on behalf of a business customer, in line with Article 28 of the UK GDPR.
- [Sub-processors](https://blackslate.ai/legal/subprocessors): The third-party providers BlackSlate uses to run its service, what each one does with personal data, and where each processes it.
- [Disclaimer: Not Legal Advice](https://blackslate.ai/legal/disclaimer): Why public domain dates, rights status, scores and AI-generated content in BlackSlate are research to inform decisions, not legal or professional advice.
- [Copyright and Content Complaints](https://blackslate.ai/legal/copyright): How rights owners can ask BlackSlate to remove content they believe infringes their rights, what to include in a notice, and how we respond.
- [Accessibility Statement](https://blackslate.ai/legal/accessibility): How BlackSlate works to make its website and apps accessible, the standard we aim for, known limitations, and how to report a problem.

## Optional
- [Full text of guides and features](https://blackslate.ai/llms-full.txt)