Although the term domain did not come into use until the mid-18th century, the concept can be traced back to the … See more

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 te… See more

A public-domain book is a book with no copyright, a book that was created without a license, or a book where its copyrights expired or have been forfeited.
In most countries the term of protection of copyright e… See more

Pamela Samuelson has identified eight "values" that can arise from information and works in the public domain.
Possible values include:
1. Building blocks for the creation of new knowledge… See more

Derivative works include translations, musical arrangements, and dramatizations of a work, as well as other forms of transformation or adaptation. Copyrighted works may not be used for derivative works without per… See more

In some countries, certain works may never fully lapse into the public domain. In the United Kingdom, for example, there is a perpetual crown copyright for the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.
While the c… See more