What is a public-domain work?
A public-domain work is a creative work that is not protected by intellectual property law and is free for anyone to use. This could include works such as books, songs, and artwork. In Virginia, any works that were created before 1923 are considered to be in the public domain, meaning that they can be copied, distributed, or modified without permission from the copyright holder. This also applies to works created by the federal government, such as photographs and videos taken by NASA. Additionally, any works that the copyright holder has chosen to dedicate to the public domain are also considered public-domain works. In this case, the copyright holder is expressly allowing anyone to use, modify, or distribute their work without permission or payment. As a result, public-domain works are a valuable source of content for artists, writers, and other creators.
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