 Nearly all tracks on "Discover America" are listed on the album sleeve as being "Public domain, arranged & adapted by Van Dyke Parks".However, many of the songs' original artists were still alive in 1972, but were not given writing credits on the album.At the time, The United States' Copyright Act of 1909 allowed for a copyright term of 28 years, followed by an optional one-time renewal for a second 28-year term.