Public Domain

copyright symbol
Copyright symbol. (n.d.). Hubspot. https://blog.hubspot.com/website/html-code-copyright

The Public Domain refers to the collective of creative works that are accessible for the public to legally use because nobody owns them under a copyright,trademark, or a patent law.

A work can enter into the public domain in multiple ways such as:

  • A previously copyrighted work's copyright has expired
  • The owner of a previously copyrighted work activley chooses to put their work into the Public Domain, this is called a dedication
  • The owener of a previously copyrighted work hasn't kept up with copytight renewal rules
  • The type of work is unprotected by copyright laws