Public Domain
The public domain refers to any creative work that can be used by other people. Books that are in the public domain are not protected by copyright laws. Ideas in the public domain can be used by anyone when they want to create new content without repercussions.
Copyright and Public Domain
After a certain period of time, books are entered into the public domain which allows other authors to use certain elements from those books in their own works. Copyright doesn’t protect ideas themselves but instead protects the way people choose to show their ideas. [2] Within the rules of the public domain, everyone is able to use anything from the public domain. No one needs to ask permission or pay any fines in order to use ideas from the public domain; they simply have access to it. [3] In his book, Robinson writes, “After twenty-eight years, the author’s rights in the work would expire, and it would enter into the public domain. The concept of the public domain ensured that, eventually, all creative works would be free to circulate among all members of society” (Robinson 195-196). [4] Over time, the exact amount of time has been altered and can even depend on the content. If the published work is not considered to have ideas that belong to the author, the work will automatically be included in the public domain.
Examples
For example, Cinderella and many other fairytales are included in the public domain which is why so many creative pieces show a reworking of those ideas, characters, plots, and other literary elements. Many books have been adapted into plays, movies, TV shows, and spin-offs, many of them being within the public domain.
Other examples of books in the public domain include The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, The Iliad by Homer, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Many more titles can be found on the Public Domain Library website. [6]
Publishing Industry
Without the public domain or copyright, there would be more chaos within the publishing industry as lawsuits would ensue left and right. The publishing industry, and the world in general, would be completely different than what we have today. Even certain areas in the world are affected by not having clear or consistent laws. Clark and Chawner wrote an article about public domain laws in New Zealand stating, “Unless clear rules of curatorship are articulated within legislation, previously liberated public domain works are at risk of being restricted by online intermediaries” (Clark and Chawner para. 1). [7]
Notes
- ↑ “What Is the Public Domain - Inselmane.” Bitbucket.io, 2021, inselmane.bitbucket.io/posts/what-is-the-public-domain/. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
- ↑ “Public Domain Publishing: How to Publish Public Domain Books?” Online Self-Publishing Platform - Publish Books Online Globally, 8 Sept. 2023, publishdrive.com/publishing-public-domain-books.html.
- ↑ GovFacts. “What’s Free to Use and What’s Not: A Guide to Copyright and Public Domain.” GovFacts, 26 May 2025, govfacts.org/explainer/whats-free-to-use-and-whats-not-a-guide-to-copyright-and-public-domain/.
- ↑ Robinson, Solveig C. The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture. Broadview Press, 2014.
- ↑ Jonas, Kirk. “Free Books in the Public Domain.” You Read It Here, 10 Dec. 2020, youreadithere.com/free-books-in-the-public-domain/. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
- ↑ “Public Domain Library - Free Ebooks.” Publicdomainlibrary.org, 2021, publicdomainlibrary.org/en/. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
- ↑ Clark, Alex, and Brenda Chawner. “Enclosing the Public Domain: The Restriction of Public Domain Books in a Digital Environment.” First Monday, vol. 19, no. 6, 2014, https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v19i6.4975.
