What One Should Know About Public Domain Books
Books that are in the public domain do not have a valid copyright on them. In some instances, the copyright has expired. There are other public domain books that have never been copyrighted to begin with. Books in the public domain are literally “free for all.” A person can post part or all of such a book on a website without having to ask permission from the book’s author or the person managing the author’s estate. It is also possible to adapt a book that is in the public domain and either post the adaptation online or sell the adapted book.
Differentiating Between Public Domain Books and Books Not in the Public Domain
A person who wishes to use a book should always make sure it is in the public domain before selling, publishing or posting from it. This is extremely important, as one can get into trouble for infringing on a copyrighted book if the book is used without permission from the author or the author’s estate. The best way to do this is by searching online. There are a number of websites that collect all known public domain articles and books and post these for the public’s reference. When in doubt, one can also look up the book title online and find out more information about who wrote it and what the book’s copyright status is.
Can a Person Sell Books that are in the Public Domain?
Selling books in the public domain is legal. For instance, Shakespeare’s works are all public domain and have been successfully made into movies, TV shows, children’s books and even drama audio CDs. While it is possible to make money off of public domain books, it is also challenging. As these books are freely available online, one will usually need to adapt the book in some way to make it appealing to potential buyers. However, it should be noted that a person who goes to the trouble of adapting a public domain book can then put his or her own name as the author of the adapted work. The adapted version of the book can also be copyrighted if one desires.
Advice on Using Public Domain Books and/or Articles Online
Many bloggers have found that public domain books contain helpful information for a website or blog. This information can then be posted on a website either in full or in part. In some instances, one will want to credit the author of the material, especially if the author is well known. Doing so will show that one’s website or blog uses factual, reliable information. However, one is not obligated to credit the author of the work is the book is in the public domain.
Public domain books contain a wealth of information that one can take advantage of without having to worry about copyright infringement. Public domain books are not hard to find, as they are available for free online. Once a person has found the book or materials that suit his or her needs, these can be freely used and even profited from.