Definition
Public domain works are no longer under copyright (or never were), so anyone may publish, adapt, or sell them without permission. Rules vary by country and depend on publication date and author death date.
Example
A publisher releases a new annotated edition of a nineteenth-century novel because the text is public domain.
Related terms
Common mistakes
- Assuming all classics worldwide are public domain in every country on the same date.
- Republishing a modern translation or critical edition without checking its separate copyright.