9 Public Domain Essential Knowledge
Public Domain- Essential Knowledge |
What can you do with a work that is in the public domain?
You can do almost anything, but it depends on the scope and duration of copyright protection in the particular country where the work is used. Depending on the country, for example, a work in the public domain may still be covered by moral rights that last beyond the duration of copyright. It’s also possible that a work is in the public domain in one country, but is still under copyright in another country. This means you may not be able to use the work freely where copyright still applies.
Author credit and the public domain
Even though it may not be legally required in every country, especially those countries where moral rights do not exist after the term of copyright expires, there are many benefits to identifying and giving credit to the original creator, even after her work has entered the public domain. Many communities have adopted norms, which are accepted standards for crediting the authors and the treatment of works in the public domain.
GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums)
If the work was digitized by a GLAM institution, it is also good practice to identify the provenance of the artwork by crediting the GLAM institution, and when possible, providing a link that goes back to the GLAM institution.
Ethical considerations
There might be other cases when a work is not protected by copyright, but you might still want to be careful in the way in which you use it or make it available. For example, issues of privacy, depictions of dead bodies or human remains, scenes of violence, or other culturally or morally sensitive issues must be considered when re-using public domain works. Use your own judgement or refer to established norms whether the use of a work might be harmful to others, inadequate or disrespectful of context.
