What is a public-domain work?

A public domain work is a creative work that is not protected by copyright laws and is therefore available for anyone to use or modify freely. This could include works that are too old to be protected by copyright laws, works that had a copyright but the copyright holder has allowed their work to be in the public domain, or works where the creator has released them into the public domain. In North Carolina, a work is considered to be in the public domain if it was published before 1978 and the copyright was not renewed, or if it was published after 1978 and the copyright had expired. Public domain works are useful because they can be used as a source of free and unrestricted content for creativity, research, and education. For example, a musician might use public domain works to create a new piece of music or a public domain poem to create a new song. A student might use public domain works in a research paper or an artist might use public domain works to create a painting. Public domain works can also be used commercially, however, the user should check with the copyright holder to make sure they have the right to do so. Copyright holders can choose to license their works under a variety of licenses, some of which allow for commercial use. It is important to make sure to follow any licensing terms and conditions associated with a public domain work, as this can help to avoid any legal issues.

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