Public domain 2025
- how long until something is public domain
- how long until something is considered public domain
- how long until something goes public domain
- how long until something hits public domain
Public domain examples!
Why would someone allow their work in the public domain?
Public Domain
Authors: Ronan Deazley, Bartolomeo Meletti and Andrea Wallace
Illustration: Davide Bonazzi
A work – like a book, a song or a film – is in the public domain when there is no copyright attached to it.
This means that you can re-use that work for free, without the need to ask for permission from anyone: you can just copy it and use it. When copyright in a work comes to an end, the work is said to enter the public domain. In many countries, such as the UK, this generally happens 70 years after the last creator’s death, bearing in mind that a work may have several creators.
In order to establish if a work is in the public domain you should ask yourself two questions:
1) Who created the work?
2) When did the creator die?
If the creator died more than 70 years ago, his or her works should be in the public domain and can be used in the creation of new work.
For example, if you want to create a video game based on Romeo and Juliet, you need to ask yourself: 1) Who authored Romeo and Juliet? Answer: William Shakespeare. 2) When did William Shakespeare die? Ans
- how long until something reaches public domain
- how long before something enters public domain