Public Domain Public Domain is the vast body of material that includes books, photos, music and information that is available for the public to use and republish...free. All of this is normally protected by copyright laws, but copyright protection is not forever. Intellectual property that is not covered by copyright laws belongs to the public domain. Therefore, it is open to everyone who wants to use it. And that can mean serious financial gain for you. How Do You Know If a Work is Public Domain? Copyright laws vary from country to country. In the United States, there are three general rules that you need to follow to help you assess potential public domain works. RULE #1: Works published in the United States before 1923 are considered public domain. This rule is cut and dry. There are no exceptions. If the work was published, created, or produced prior to 1923, then it is in the public domain. RULE #2: Works created after March 1, 1989, even if not published, are copyright protected for 70 years after the author’s death. Works made for hire (corporate authorship) after March 1, 1989 are copyright protected for 120 years from creation or 95 years from publication, whichever is sooner. This rule, of course, means that you do not have to actively file for copyright notice to come under the protection of the copyright law. Under this rule, all creative work produced after March 1, 1989 is automatically covered. The phrase “works made for hire” actually refers to publications issued for and by a corporation so the legal author turns out to be the employer or corporation. That is why they are sometimes collectively referred to as “corporate authorship” and may include anything from newsletters to employee manuals, annual reports and instructional texts. Works made for hire may also cover any situation wherein a creative professional is paid to produce a work within the scope of his own employment. RULE #3: Works published in the United States between 1923 and March 1, 1989 are also copyright protected, provided the formalities are observed. These formalities include notice of copyright, registration, and/or renewal. Failure to observe these formalities means the work is in the public domain. On the other hand, if you comply with the requirements, then your work is under copyright protection. So, to summarize, you know that a particular work falls into the public domain if it comes under any of the following conditions: • Published before 1923 • Published between 1923 and 1978 without a valid copyright notice • Published between 1978 and March 1, 1989, without a notice and registration • Published between 1923 and 1963 with a copyright notice but author failed to renew it (According to a report, only 7% of copyrights issued through 1958 were renewed) However, a work is not public domain if any of the following conditions apply: • Published between 1923 and 1963 with a copyright notice, properly renewed before its expiration for the first 23-year protection term • Published between 1963 and March 1, 1989 with a valid copyright notice • Published or created any time after March 1, 1989 (Works after this date are deemed automatically under copyright protection) Where Can You Find Public Domain Work? There are two basic methods for finding public domain work. The first is classic DIY or do-it-yourself. This method is not very fast and will probably not yield that many results, but it will cost you virtually nothing. The other method is the paid way, wherein you pay a third party to do the research for you. Whichever you prefer, you may still want to know how to locate public domain work on your own. Internet Start by searching for keywords and phrases like: o public domain music o public domain images o public domain books o public domain movies o public domain works o public domain library o public domain software **A word to the wise -- Don't trust everyone. Information from the Library of Congress is reliable. If you're doing the research yourself, it's in your best interest to contact a copyright lawyer before you publish the work, just in case it falls outside the copyright laws. • Talk it Out Besides regular websites, public domain works are also available in boards with public posting access, e.g. forums, message boards, and e-groups. Just do a search for “public domain forum,” substituting “forum” with message boards, list, group, news, community, etc. **Just remember: Before you join any group, forum, or community, browse through the forum posts and member profiles first to determine if the members are easy to talk with and are not averse to answering questions (okay, a lot of questions) from newbies. • Go Right to the Source When you do your search for public domain works, you will find that many libraries and groups offer you a wide range of creative work in the public domain. Countless copies of work without copyright protection are digitized, archived in online databases, and made freely available to the public. According to them, this helps ensure the information is freely available to scholars, educators, students, and the general public. Grab Your Copy For Only . . . $9.95 I know you will get something from this well written eBook! Remember: Knowledge is power - And Great Knowledge is Powerful. When reading an eBook can MOVE you - Isn’t that feeling worth the price of the wonderful read? ENJOY! APPLY! SHARE!

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