Public Domain
From DPCanadaWiki
To be created/developped and updated The Public Domain refers to information and creative works that belong to a common body of knowledge and cultural heritage, and therefore may be used for any purpose by anyone. Items that are under copyright or patent are not in the public domain and may be used only in certain legally prescribed ways.
A work may be in the public domain for any of a number of reasons:
- A work may have been created before copyright law existed
- The copyright on a work may have expired
- An author may place a work directly in the public domain
- The type of work may be ineligible for copyright protection.
Because copyright laws vary from country to country, it is possible (and common) for a given work to be in the public domain in one country but under copyright in another country.
Almost all projects in progress at Distributed Proofreaders Canada, and posted to Project Gutenberg Canada, are in the public domain in Canada. Typically, this means that the author has been dead for at least 50 years.
