diff --git a/api/api/models/media.py b/api/api/models/media.py
index 22b4494c7af..d95cb1846d2 100644
--- a/api/api/models/media.py
+++ b/api/api/models/media.py
@@ -106,8 +106,11 @@ def license_url(self) -> str:
     def attribution(self) -> str:
         """Legally valid attribution for the media item in plain-text English."""
 
+        lic = self.license.lower()
+        if lic == "publicdomain":
+            lic = "pdm"
         return get_attribution_text(
-            self.license.lower(),
+            lic,
             self.title,
             self.creator,
             self.license_version,
diff --git a/api/api/utils/watermark.py b/api/api/utils/watermark.py
index 3f82ff8f66d..27c99706a2f 100644
--- a/api/api/utils/watermark.py
+++ b/api/api/utils/watermark.py
@@ -190,8 +190,11 @@ def _print_attribution_on_image(img: Image.Image, image_info):
 
     font = ImageFont.truetype(_get_font_path(), size=font_size)
 
+    lic = image_info["license"]
+    if lic == "publicdomain":
+        lic = "pdm"
     text = get_attribution_text(
-        image_info["license"],
+        lic,
         image_info["title"],
         image_info["creator"],
         image_info["license_version"],