Those looking for quick lists of public domain resources meant for casual perusal and quick consumption will be in for a pleasant surprise. This is not just a guide on where to find public domain materials such as music, photos, and literary works. You will find that information within, but you will find much, much more besides.

Stephen Fishman, an experience attorney in both government and private practice since 1979, provides all of the legal information that many readers might never have known they needed. Fishman goes into great detail about the history of public domain materials, the legalities of usage and ownership regarding such works, the loopholes to look for, and the pitfalls to avoid.

Other books from Nolo have successfully endeavored to communicate legal information to its readers in clear, simple language. The Public Domain achieves this goal as well, and will undoubtedly act as an indispensable reference to anyone seeking out legally obtainable works in the public domain.

Copyright is messy, messy, messy. I know. I was embroiled in a copyright dispute for over a year, winning only when the other side bailed out before summary judgement. The rules for when copyright applies are complicated and depend on numerous factors that have to be weighed. Much of what you might want to do lies in grey areas. An inch to the right, you're OK. An inch to the left and you're in big trouble. And if that wasn't bad enough, every decade or two Congress changes the law, prompting by Disney money or the nagging of librarians. Some aspects of our current law indicate just how clueless Congress has been when its only inputs have been lobbyists, publishers, and librarians.

That's why if you write, edit, publish, or teach using anything that includes material done by others, written or visual, you need a good reference to tell you where the lines are. This book is the best I've seen for covering in an area called "the public domain." Copyright is what the creator (writer, artists or photographer) owns. For a limited time he can dictate who can or cannot publish his work. The public domain is everything else. It includes books published so long ago that copyright no longer applies, material created by the U.S. government that "we the people" own, and works the creator has released into the public domain to get into wider circulation.

I've published a number of books based on material in the public domain, so I checked out what it said on the areas that a lazy writer might skip. I couldn't find anything he has missed. Fair use is there. The concept of that author's "moral rights" which complicates matters in Europe is included. Selective release into the public domain under a Creative Commons license is included. That's not surprising, since this is the fourth edition and it should have all the bugs worked out. It took me five editions to get everything like I like it in my The Lord of the Rings chronology that triggered the lawsuit--Untangling Tolkien.

The only lack I could find is that that he fails to warn readers just how nasty "cease and desist" letters can be. I called the lawyer I first encountered in my dispute a "junk yard dog" for his tendency to snap, snarl and leap out at me as far as his Manhattan-to-Seattle leash would allow. The opposing side was careful to keep him out of sight when our dispute moved into the courts and, with a judge watching, they had to become more civil. But I made sure his snarls and my polite replies became a part of the court record.

Also, if you're excerpting videos from various copyrighted sources and posting them on YouTube, you may not find much help in this book. What's legal and what isn't in that area is so new and uncertain, I'm not sure what the author could say. Those disputes are typically not going to court since the copyright holder is usually satisfied if YouTube simply yanks the video on request. And it's the courts that flesh out the blank spots in copyright law. My dispute existed, in part, because no court has ever ruled on whether a chronology of a complex fictional work is fair use.

Finally, keep in mind that this book is about the public domain aspects of copyright--meaning what is not covered by copyright. To be fully equipped, you also need a book on copyright law.

--Michael W. Perry, Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings

The legal issues of using materials produced by others are especially relevant now because the Internet has made available vast quantities of such material to nearly every one with a computer. But just because that information is available to copy and download doesn't mean it is legal to do so. There are all kinds of legal consequences to those who don't follow the rules. "The Public Domain, Fourth Edition," is intended to describe and explain the rules and to facilitate locating and using material without getting into trouble.

Author, Stephen Fishman, is an attorney and writer of legal and educational books. He explains things on a level suitable for a layman. Like much of the publisher's Nolo materials, the basic idea of the book is to empower readers to avoid lawyers (in most cases) and to handle legal issues of using available resources themselves.

Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the concepts of the public domain and copyright. Matters of copyright notice, duration, coverage, and enforcement are covered thoroughly. The middle 11 chapters focus on specific materials, like writings, music, art, photos, movies and TV, maps, and the like, and clarify how the general rules of public domain and copyright applies to each category. Fishman describes how other non-copyright legal rules may apply to each category of material, like patent, trade name, trade secret, licensing and contract, and other similar laws. A large and important exception to copyright rules, called "fair use" is well explained.

The content of the book is fairly comprehensive. Reference is made to both US and foreign laws. There are sections describing how to search various registries for copyright and other filings. Legal ambiguities or conflicts are duly noted There is a nice chapter on how to secure permission for material not in the public domain.

Most of the book describes and explains the laws of using other's materials. But there is relatively little that focuses on actually finding specific materials. There are some website addresses listings for obtaining free music scores, for example, but for the most part, the book leaves the actual locating of material to the reader's own efforts.

The layout of the book could be improved. There are too many font styles, headings, and text items on a typical page, making the book difficult to read and follow. There are few illustrations and sidebars to break up text segments, and these are in dull grayscale only. There are several useful charts, however, containing data for copyright applicability over various time periods and among different laws.

The biggest problem with the book is the incessant repetition. Facts, opinions, and concepts are repeated across chapters. Even the same examples are repeated, sometimes four or more times. The book, properly edited, could be reduced in size by a factor of two or three and therefore made more readable and accessible.

Woo Hoo! What a find! Writers, Musicians, Artists, Film Makers, and more have a goldmine in "The Public Domain."

As a writer for much of my career, I thought I understood copyright law. I did not. But I've got a better handle on it now. For example, I thought that works published after 1929 could not be in the public domain -- wrong! And I thought that if someone republished a public domain book, that they could copyright that book and take it out of the public domain. Wrong again!

In fact, just about everything I though I knew about copyright law was wrong.

I knew I didn't understand much about Fair Use. As it turns out, that's in part because the concept is vague and loose. But now I've got a better grasp on how and when to use it, and how I could get into trouble misusing it.

In addition to clear explanations about copyrights and their uses, this useful book has literally thousands of resources where you can find public domain books, articles, photos, films - in fact, just about anything you have in mind.

There's so much help in this book for people who create all sorts of original works, that it is easily my favorite book of the year. It's just that good.

Thanks, author Stephen Fishman, for straightening me out. Thanks for all the resources I'd never have found on my own. And thanks for producing such a helpful volume. It's a treasure!

If a person plans to offer content created by others on the internet, a photograph for instance, a favorite poem, art work, then it is very important to understand the legal limits of the Public Domain.

Items that are in the Public Domain, i.e., that can be used freely by anyone for any purpose get there by a couple of paths. One of for the copyright to have expired. It used to be fairly easy to tell when an item was going to be available in the public domain. Then, in what was widely felt to be an effort to protect Micky Mouse's early images-- copyright was about to expire on it, the U S congress expanded the period of coverage.

Anyway, this book from Nolo does a very good job of providing information about the basics of the Public Domain. Nolo has a long and respectable history with providing legal information and a spot check didn't reveal any errors.

As someone involved in both writing and theatre, I often look to the public domain for inspiration. The public domain is basically a list of old published material--books, plays, photography, music--that is no longer under copyright. If you wanted to write a screenplay based on a book in the public domain, you could do it... for free!

This is an extremely helpful resource for anyone interested in learning about the public domain. It's all the information you ever needed to know--including what legal issues could arise from using public domain materials. The book is written in plain English, so anyone can understand the legal jargon.

The book explains the rules of the public domain, and explains how to determine whether a work is in the public domain or not. I was a bit disappointed; however, that there wasn't a more consummate list of materials in the public domain. I've been thinking about writing a screenplay... and this book "suggests" a few classic works for adaptations. However, the ones they recommended have already been recently adapted. I realize the list of works in the public domain must be HUGE, but it would have been nice if they would have compiled a list of more than 20 or 30 classic novels.

There is, however, very specific information on all aspects of the public domain. After reading this book, you'll (fairly) easily be able to determine what is protected by copyright and what is not.

NOLO continues to turn out books which make laws and legalities clear for those of us who either can't afford to hire lawyers or would simply rather save the hundreds or thousands of dollars and do it ourselves.

"The Public Domain" (How to Find & Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More) is indispensible in our new "cut-and-paste" age of creativity. Mix-ups, Mash-ups, Youtube videos, "sampling" for music - it's all included here, in relatively easy-to-read form (it is still, after all, a law book).

For me, this book has actually already proved valuable in that it flat out contradicted information I'd gotten from a highly paid attorney. I double and triple checked: NOLO was entirely right, and the lawyer entirely wrong.

While an Index isn't a glamorous feature, Nolo's "Public Domain" has a large and detailed one, making it easy to track down the information you most need at any given time.

For the price, this should be on the shelf of every media/creative person.

This is a great reference book. It's a very user friendly book on what I've found to be a very confusing subject.

I got the book hoping to gain insight on covering one's self when posting personal art works on websites for display purposes in various shows.

It seems to be the wild west out there with people taking whatever they can find to use for whatever they want and this guide is very helpful.

Like most things legal, Public Domain is a simple concept compromised by a million complications. Among those are copyright law itself, foreign law, case law in specific areas (e.g., the internet), licensing, variations in how copyright and public domain are interpreted for collections, references, and derivative works, how reproductions are treated, notification and disclosures, types of usage, and scores of others.

In other words, if you were looking for a checklist approach to find and use public domain works, this isn't it and one doesn't exist. The bad news is there's just no escape from the need to understand something about copyright law. The good news is that this book packs a lot of surprisingly readable advice on all the above, and more, into a single reasonably-sized volume of 420 pages. There is not only enough to keep you from trouble with a variety of works types (there are chapters for writing, photos, music, etc.), there is a "Traps for the Unwary" chapter near the end that mops up trademark and publicity-related considerations. The book ends, usefully, with a chapter on copyright office research.

All in all, a very worthwhile book, very much on point throughout, and clearly written for the layman, though the author is an attorney. That meets Nolo Press' aims, and this volume meets my needs.

WOW!
This new edition from NOLO has me scanning and rescanning information, and it has already yielded me a public domain volume that I'd been praying for. Rather than hit me with restrictions, it has opened up many more opportunities for creativity.

Short pieces of legal information plus a complete laundry list of everything and more pertaining to free artwork and created STUFF. Written by lawyers who have this so, so down!

Arm thyself with the right weapons! A very wise investment and totally exceeds my expectations!

This is not a read first to last page book, it's a reference book. You can read it straight if you like but I think it's main purpose is to answer questions which it does very well.

First it explains what copyrights are. How long they last according to what the nature of the work is. Copyrights vary by country which I didn't realize something could be public domain in one country and not in another.

What is so exciting about this book is the wealth of FREE Public Domain materials it brings to your attention. There are many websites given to get these items. The work has all been done for you. No longer will you have a question if something is Public or you need permission to use it.

All movies and films made by the U.S.Government are Public Domain unless an outside hired company made it for them. I did not know this.They may be classified in other forms but still belong to the public. There is a HUGE amount of educational material all usable for FREE.

I spent the afternoon reading many chapters of the book and now feel very much more informed as to what is "fair use" and what is not. So we can tape our favorite show and watch it when we get home from work but it has to stop there.

I've seen websites I thought were questionable selling whole seasons of TV series that are not even released on DVD's yet claiming it was Public Domain. WRONG. It is not. Stick with Amazon and avoid these no name sites. I'm sure they are here one day and gone the next as it's going to be 75-95 years until our current favorites are Public Domain and that is if it doesn't get renewed.

There is a great site they are getting all pre 1923 books on ebook form. Almost everything pre 1923 is public domain. You can download the book and listen on your computer or MP3 for FREE. I got a book there and enjoying it very much. They are also looking for readers to help in this huge project. You can put it on Cd and take it in the car...all legal all free!!

Grandma always said there is no free lunch but there is Public Domain and there are some really great things out there to be had. Get the book and get the websites...it's great fun and very educational. A must for church and school libraries alike.

If you're any kind of artist -- from songwriter to website builder -- you need this book. As with all of Nolo's publications, it's packed with information, well laid-out, and easy to use.

Chapters include the Introduction, Use and Abuse of Copyright, Free Writings, Music, Art, Photography, Movies and Television, Computer Software, Architecture, Maps, Choreography, Databases and Collections, Titles, Public Domain Elements and Copyrighted Writings, Copyrights Restored From the Public Domain, The Public Domain Outside the United States, The Internet and the Public Domain, Copyright Protection: How Long Does It Last, Copyright Notice Requirements, Traps For the Unwary: Trademark and Publicity Rights, Researching Copyright Office Records, and What If A Work Is Not In The Public Domain.

It's not as daunting a book as it sounds. The sub-chapters and index make it quick and easy to use. Simply a must-have for everybody's bookshelf.

Anyone who has every edited a website that needed some content or an anthology that needed just one more essay has been tempted to "fill things out" using the vast quantity of information in the public domain. The problem is that it is not always quite clear what is in the public domain and under what circumstances sections of other material can be used.

Stephen Fishman has provided a quick and easy guide to the legaities of the public domain world. He gives a very user-friendly introduction to copyright laws, the difference between domestic and foreign copyright legal traditions, the circumstances where product in the pubilc domain in the US was removed because of treaties with foreign countries, and the concept of "fair use" of copyrighted material.

This is not a list of "free stuff" and those expecting that will be disappointed. Similarly, those wishing to get by on a "technicality" while sponging off someone else's creativity will learn no new "tricks". This book is, however, extremely useful for those who seek to use classic material and not violate existing laws. It gives principles whereby those who wish to obey the laws as they exist can safely assume they are within their rights to publish certain material.

Moreover, this gives those interested in a certain area the ability to make important texts of that genre available through the web and by other means to similarly interested parties. One can go on the web now and find classic works of philosophy, religion, science, and literature free - often obscure titles that may only be of interest to specialist with reprints often expensive and hard to find.

Whatever your purpose, "The Public Domain How to Find and Use Copyright Free Writings, Music, Art & More" is well worth the price of a reference to ensure you remain one of the good guys.

I've wanted to know more about Copyright for a while now. I got this book because I thought the title was interesting. It was from the perspective of someone trying to find and "exploit" content in the public domain. I don't recall the book using the word exploit but it basically is about that at certain points. It's good because I want to protect some digital content I create and sell online and this book has helped me become away of any vulnerabilities of that content because of the perspective of the book. Also the NOLO books are a series of books that basically help put crazy legal speak and complex laws in easier to understand words.

I have not finished reading the entire book as once you get past the first few chapters it is organized so that you simply go to a chapter that contains info about the certain type of content you are interested in. I have been very happy and educated with what I have read thus far! If you are interested in finding out how to protect your own content, and how you might be allowed to create new content based off existing content in a legal manner, this is the book for you!

Have you ever tried to find great illustrations, music, etc. for a creative project, only to find yourself stymied by copyright restrictions? If so then you need this book. It's full of sources for public domain material that will jazz up newsletters, magazines and online content. Highly recommended.

I've read other Nolo Press books, including "Getting Permission", "Copyright Your Software", "Copyright", "Trademark" and others in their intellectual property books, and I had concerns whether this book would be mostly duplicate information. Fortunately, it's not.

This book supplements "Getting Permission", which gives the general ideas behind copyright practices and provides legal forms for attain copyright use permission. There is some necessary crossover between "Public Domain" and "Getting Permission". "The Public Domain" gives more details on specific sources and provides information on other types of copyright coverage--for example, choreography, databases, and architecture.

Also, this book discusses how and where to find some copyright-free material.

If one can go through these two books, I guess one can figure out self-help copyright law effectively here.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It directs you, like arrows on a path, on where to go and what to do with older material you would like to use. It isn't an end-all, all you will ever need book on copyrights and legalities, for using material of times past. It is a good starting point to direct you to other places for more information and gives you advice on what to do and not do. Just like I found out the ever so old movie "It's a Wonderful Life" is claimed by a certain someone as still a valid copyright, even though nobody is quite certain if it actually is or not, according to this book. In other words, there are other circumstantial surroundings to older material that one must look into and not rush into thinking if one thing is seemingly ok, that is all you need to do. There could be another issue hiding in the bushes. Careful study of what you are seeking to use, must be followed up with a good amount of research to protect you. This book is a must for writers and musicians who would like to use older material. Know though, that this book is the beginning, not the end, for what you need to do.

Written in a clear, concise style that covers soooo many different ideas for anyone in the business of creating new products... that may or may not be based on previously existing products.

For instance, it mentions something I would never have thought... you can copy the design of ANY building built before Dec 1st, 1990 because design copyright did not exist on any buildings built before that date.

This extensive book covers music, sound, art, software, movies, tv programs, writings, maps, etc... it's bang up to date as of May 2008 (4th Revision).

It's amazing to see what's freely out there for the taking.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! AAA+++

I am finding it terribly difficult to write a review on a reference book as I consider that akin to writing a review on the dictionary. What exactly are you supposed to say?

Personally, I found this book very informative and very useful especially since I am an author myself and am also in the process of producing several instructional videos. This book is definitely going to make my job a lot easier and it has already saved me untold hours of research time by having most of the information I need located in one very simple to use book.

I have no qualms at all giving this book my highest recommendations.

Shawn Kovacich
Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

What a great book! Fishman's book gives a comprehensive overview of a subject only one in a thousand knows anything about. The Public Domain.

The public domain consists of art, music, literature, software, etc. that belongs to no one and can be repurposed by anyone for other use.

If you and your community group wanted to stage a musical version of Tom Sawyer set in the year 2502, you can do this very easily as Tom Sawyer (and all of Mark Twain's works) are in the public domain. There are no licensing fees.

Fishman gives you a methodology for finding and locating works and for understanding how to track them down and protect yourself should someone want to press a claim against (most likely spurious)

Highly recommended.

Cheers!

Copyright law is complex, sometimes counter-intuitive, and the rules change for each media type. This excellent book not only gives you the basics of copyright law, it expands on the specifics of the law for various media types. The best part of this book, the most brilliant part in my opinion, is the addition of a checklist for each media type. With this checklist, you can verify that your item is in the public domain or if it requires copyright permission. The checklist replaces an expensive copyright law attorney for cases where you can figure it out yourself. Anyone producing media for the public or using media released to the public should own this book. It is an invaluable resource in my professional library.