What is the public domain?

Public domain refers to a type of intellectual property that is not protected by copyright law. This means that anyone, anywhere, can use and reproduce works in the public domain without permission or payment to the original creator. In North Carolina, works that are in the public domain include works published before 1923 and works published before 1963 without a copyright notice. It also includes works created by U.S. government employees as part of their official duties. Public domain works can be used without permission and no royalties need to be paid, provided the user credits the original creator, if known. It is important to note that copyright law changes often and that it is important to check the status of any work you want to use to ensure it is in the public domain.

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What is the public domain?

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