What does it mean for a work to be part of the public domain?
The state of belonging or being available to the public as a whole, and therefore not subject to copyright.
Works in the public domain are available to everyone and aren't under any copyright. A work becomes part of the public domain when the copyright has expired or has otherwise been forfeited. At this time, it becomes free to be used by the general public.
When does a work become part of the public domain?
The most common way for a work to become public domain is when the copyright expires. In most countries, the creator of a work is the prime copyright holder for the duration of their life plus a specified number of years after their death. Let’s take Pride and Prejudice as an example. Jane Austen wrote this book in 1813, and passed away in 1817. Under modern copyright law, her estate would remain primary copyright holders for 70 years (in Canada) after her death, meaning that Pride and Prejudice entered the public domain in Canada in 1887.
Things to note:
- Kobo Writing Life is no longer accepting new public domain works.
- Copyright laws and time restrictions vary from country to country.
- The "life + x amount of years" rule is not definitive. Some authors' estates retain copyright long after the original author's death.