Public domain in the United States
Imagine you have a toy that you no longer want to play with, and you decide to give it away for free to other kids to play with. This toy is now in the "public domain," which means anyone can have it and use it without having to ask your permission.
The same thing happens with things like books, movies, and music. When their original creators either give up their rights, or when those rights expire, anyone can use them as they please. This is called "public domain."
In the United States, anything created before the year 1923 is automatically in the public domain. This means that anyone can do whatever they want with those works, like republish them, use them in their own art, or even sell them without having to get permission from the original creator or their heirs.
There are also some works that have been donated to the public domain by their creators or rights holders, and others that have been purposely made available for public use with a Creative Commons license.
So, think of public domain as a big playground where everybody can use and enjoy things that were once owned by someone else, without having to pay or ask for permission.
The same thing happens with things like books, movies, and music. When their original creators either give up their rights, or when those rights expire, anyone can use them as they please. This is called "public domain."
In the United States, anything created before the year 1923 is automatically in the public domain. This means that anyone can do whatever they want with those works, like republish them, use them in their own art, or even sell them without having to get permission from the original creator or their heirs.
There are also some works that have been donated to the public domain by their creators or rights holders, and others that have been purposely made available for public use with a Creative Commons license.
So, think of public domain as a big playground where everybody can use and enjoy things that were once owned by someone else, without having to pay or ask for permission.