This work is in the public domain because it was published in the United States between 1929 and 1977, inclusive, with a defective copyright notice (copyright notice information) containing at least one of the following defects: Notice does not include the copyright symbol ©, the word "Copyright", or the abbreviation "Copr."; Notice is dated more than one year later than the actual date of first publication; Notice does not include a named claimant or does not name the actual copyright holder; Notice is illegible or concealed from view; It is a printed literary, musical, or dramatic work that does not include the year. A defective notice does not invalidate copyright in cases where the error is immaterial and would not mislead an infringer, such as an abbreviated name. Additionally, foreign works created outside the US are subject to copyright restoration even with a defective notice. It is not in the public domain in the countries or areas that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works, such as Canada, mainland China (not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, and other countries with individual treaties. Deutsch ∙ English ∙ español ∙ +/−

The book contained a copyright notice only in the name of Truman Capote, which does not apply to the cover art by another artist, per the Jaws illustration copyright decision.

Furthermore, this work was printed on a dust jacket that itself contained no copyright notice. A copyright notice in a book may not cover an unaffixed dust jacket, per section 2207.1(C) of the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices. (Images of the full dust jacket can be found in sales listings, for example [1].)