What is Public Domain? Can I use a public domain material on my site?

by Vanure
6 replies
Hi, sorry if I am posting in wrong area.
I wanted to know that what is a Public Domain material? I was writing a article to my blog then I came across wikipedia while searching for relevant images for my post. Then I found license terms at the end of image that it has been made public domain by its Author. So can I use that image? Should I have to link them back? or Just attribution with Author name would be enough?
#domain #material #public #site
  • Profile picture of the author OrangeBull
    Public domain content is content which has expired from copyright, i.e. Bram Stoker's original text for "Dracula."

    Or material that failed the statutory requirements to obtain copyright protection under the 1909 Act, i.e. George Romero's original film "The Night of the Living Dead" which was published without proper copyright notice and entered the public domain at its first public showing.

    Or material that is not subject to copyright, such as government works created by employees of the federal government during the course of their regular employment, i.e. NASA photos of men on the moon.
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  • Profile picture of the author usmantech
    yes you can use public domain content. But it would be difficult to rank your website with just public domain content. You will need fresh, unique and interesting content to make any impact.
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    • Profile picture of the author lucidbs
      Public domain content is free for you to grab without any copyright issue. You can always get some freebies here:

      www.gutenberg.org

      I wouldn't use it for seo purpose. Instead, I'd extract info from the books and make out free report or paid report, build a squeeze page, drive some traffic to see if it's making or breaking it.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kreator517
        Public domain images are the best way to go as far as being safe from copyright issues. You should still read the license info carefully as some creative commons licenses require proper citation nas to source, author, etc.

        Not too sure about finding any public domain text worth spinning into an ebook though.
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  • Profile picture of the author Barry Unruh
    Originally Posted by Vanure View Post

    Should I have to link them back? or Just attribution with Author name would be enough?
    No, you are not required to link back to them. Attribution is not even required. If you are going to attribute someone with credit for the work, make sure it is the real originator of the image, not someone else using the image like you.

    Keep in mind, Public Domain and Creative Commons are very different things. If it is Creative Commons licensed you are almost always required to attribute the author, but not necessarily with a link. The license may not allow changing the image or using it for profit. Double check the licensing to be safe.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Vanure View Post

    Can I use a public domain material on my site?
    Yes, but be aware that there's sometimes a difference between something being in the public domain and someone else telling you that it's in the public domain. If you depend on second-hand information, you'll still be responsible if it turns out to have been mistaken.

    It's like using a photo that someone else tells you has no copyright/usage restrictions: if it turns out that they were mistaken, you can still be sued by the true copyright owner. So care and verification are always advised.
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