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The Public Domain: How to Find & Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Are you a screenwriter looking for a novel or story to adapt?..." (more)
Key Phrases: public domain sheet music, public domain gray areas, basic copyright term, New York, Library of Congress, Dover Publications (more...)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (58 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

A public domain was one of the Framers' most important gifts to our cultural tradition. This extraordinary book makes real. -- Lawrence Lessig, Stanford Law Professor and author of Code & Other laws of Cyberspace

How do you tell the difference between what's copyrighted and what isn't? A good starting point is The Public Domain. -- Associated Press

Outstanding and useful information about copyright, public-domain material, fair use, and how to navigate this sometimes daunting field. -- Peter E. Hanff, Deputy Director, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

Product Description

Even though grade-school teachers have told us otherwise for years, you can copy other people's creative work and get away with it. How? By dipping into the public domain, where everything is free for the taking.

The first book of its kind, The Public Domain is the definitive guide to the creative works that are not protected by copyright and can be copied freely or otherwise used without paying permission fees.

The book explains step-by-step how to recognize when a work is in the public domain. Chapters cover:
* writings
* music
* art
* architecture
* maps
* choreography
* photography
* film and video
* computer software and databases

The book also lists hundreds of resources, such as websites, libraries and archives, useful for locating public domain works.

Destined to become a classic reference guide, The Public Domain is indispensable for anyone who deals with creative works, including publishers, web developers, writers, musicians and composers, artists, librarians, photographers and filmmakers.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: NOLO; 2nd edition (March 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1413300154
ISBN-13: 978-1413300154
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 2 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (58 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,106,490 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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› Visit Amazon's Stephen Fishman Page

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.

First Sentence:
Are you a screenwriter looking for a novel or story to adapt? Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
public domain sheet music, public domain gray areas, basic copyright term, copyright restoration, spurious copyright claims, public domain because the copyright, public domain elements, original public domain version, public domain writings, own copyright notices, public domain artworks, public domain films, foreign copyright laws, limited copyright protection, detailed publication history, former copyright owner, educational fair use guidelines, public domain music, public domain due, foreign sound recordings, ineligible for copyright protection, public domain novel, public domain paintings, copyright expiration, private search firm

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Library of Congress, Dover Publications, Supreme Court, National Archives, Mona Lisa, Richard Stim, United Kingdom, Clear Copyrighted Materials Online, World War, World Wide Web, College Park, Mark Twain, The Atlantic Monthly, Paul Revere, Smithsonian Institution, Alien Property Custodian, Irving Berlin, Notice of Intent, Western Europe, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Clark Boardman Callaghan, Enforce Copyright, Las Vegas, Los Angeles

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Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 100 books:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Bantam Classics) by Mark Twain on 4 pages
Great Expectations (New Oxford Illustrated Dickens) by Charles Dickens on 4 pages
Les Aventures de Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain on page 46, page 48, and page 78
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Treasury of Illustrated Classics) by Tracy Christopher on page 46, page 48, and page 78
Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library) by William Shakespeare on page 7, page 45, and page 341

See all 100 books this book cites

56 books cite this book:

Web & Software Development: A Legal Guide by Stephen Fishman on 5 pages
The Public Domain: How to Find and Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More by Stephen Fishman on 5 pages
Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web by Daniel Cohen on 5 pages
Getting Permission: How To License & Clear Copyrighted Materials Online & Off 2nd Edition by Richard Stim on 4 pages
Inventor's Guide to Law, Business & Taxes (What Every Inventor Needs to Know About Business & Taxes) by Stephen Fishman on 4 pages

See all 56 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Web & Software Development by Stephen Fishman

Discusses:

Intellectual Property by Roger E. Schechter

Discusses:

The Copyright Handbook by Stephen Fishman

Discusses:

Getting Permission by Richard Stim

Discusses:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	85% buy the item featured on this page: The Public Domain: How to Find & Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More 4.7 out of 5 stars (58)
	5% buy The Copyright Handbook: What Every Writer Needs to Know 4.8 out of 5 stars (10) $26.39
	5% buy Getting Permission: How to License & Clear Copyrighted Materials Online and Off (book with CD-Rom) 4.2 out of 5 stars (4) $23.74
	3% buy Working for Yourself: Law & Taxes for Independent Contractors, Freelancers & Consultants 4.8 out of 5 stars (47) $26.39

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Customer Reviews

58 Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars (58 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most useful books I have ever encountered, September 29, 2002

By	Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Public Domain: How to Find and Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More (Paperback)

This fat and informative book is a goldmine for anyone interested in public domain works, whether writings, music, art, films or just about anything else. The author, Attorney Stephen Fishman, begins with an examination of copyright laws and the public domain. After that, the book begins each of the chapters on copyrightable materials with a handy checklist for use in determining public domain status, and then launches into a discussion of how to determine the public domain status of such an item. After those useful chapters, the author examines the use of copyrighted and public domain works.

This is one of the most useful books I have ever encountered. It contains most everything you need to know in determining the public domain status of a work, and it is organized in a simple, easy-to-use format (ala the ___ for Dummies books), that is sure to inform the reader, and never lose him or her. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in whether or not something is in the public domain, and thus open to free use.

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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first and last word in finding free art and music, April 20, 2001

By	Richard Stim "Conned-sumer" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Public Domain: How to Find and Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More (Paperback)

Highly recommended! I'm an artist and musician and I've been waiting for a book like this for years. It's like a road map that lets you figure out what stuff you can use without permission (and without having to ask a lawyer if its okay). And there is a lot of free art out there ... not just old stuff but U.S. government art, etc. It's a very sharp, well-written book with lots of interesting trivia, too.

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great NOLO publication!, August 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Public Domain: How to Find and Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More (Paperback)

NOLO writes legal books for the rest of us. I've used other NOLO books and gave this one a shot. I found this book to be a wonderful guide to the whole subject of public domain, from where to find it to how to use it effectively. It was also a great introduction to the history of public domain and its significance in the legal landscape of intellectual property. it's a great resourse for anyone that needs creative content for free!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Takes the mystery out of public domain and fair use
I teach a number of different courses and know that I am entitled to use some information under fair use. But where does this this right start and stop? Read more

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