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Definitions of the boundaries of the public domain in relation to copyright, or intellectual property more generally, regard the public domain as a negative space; that is, it consists of works that are no longer in copyright term or were never protected by copyright law.
This page features items from the Library's digital collections that are free to use and reuse. The Library believes that this content is either in the public domain, has no known copyright, or has been cleared by the copyright owner for public use.
Learn what public domain means and how it affects creative works. Find out how long works are protected by copyright, how they enter the public domain, and how they can be used and re-copyrighted.
Apr 3, 2013 · Learn what public domain means and how works enter the public domain. Find out the rules and exceptions for using public domain materials in the U.S.
Our public domain tools, on the other hand, enable authors and copyright owners who want to dedicate their works to the worldwide public domain to do so, and facilitate the labeling and discovery of works that are already free of known copyright restrictions.
Our Public Domain Mark enables works that are no longer restricted by copyright to be marked as such in a standard and simple way, making them easily discoverable and available to others.
Dec 2, 2013 · Public domain is the purest form of open/free, since no one owns or controls the material in any way. Works that are in the public domain in one legal jurisdiction are not necessarily in the public domain worldwide.
