What Exactly Does "Public Domain" Mean, And . . . ?

It can depend on where you live on what is still or out of copyright..There was an ironic copyright issue recently where the works of George Orwell,including the Famous "1984" and "Animal Farm",were REMOVED from Amazon's Kindle Ebook Users directories after an about turn on the copyright decision by the publishers..The books are apparently out of Copyright in Australia,but not in Europe or the US,due to legal reasons..If something is recognised as being a PD work,then it is freely available to distribute.So,If You want to use PD Images,I think you should be able to do so.I don't get that,though,how someone can claim copyright on sites created with PD Material! Maybe if you create something NEW and unique using PD material,you can copyright it..?

You can use stuff in public domain. So you can use the pictures on a cook book, as well as print out anything before 1928 without having to pay for it. (damn Disney. It is his Mickey Mouse that made anything after 1928 you have to pay for the use.) Of course, sometimes the author lets people use the product free. Usually that means in the case of song writers of sacred songs, they will allow a church choir perform one of their songs in their concert as long as the Cds are only going out to the members and the price is just for a the cds and the labor itself. So many sacred song books have a copyright notice and that is usually included in the cost of the book. Now for the copyright sign on someone's page, that is for what that person wrote himself or herself. It is not for the images per sae. So if someone is writing about Gutenberg, and prints out an old lithograph of Gutenberg using the printing press, the article is copyrighted, but anyone can go and print out that lithograph and not get sued.

Copyright covers materiel that you have produced yourself or someone else has produced. Public Domain is materiel that has either had the copyright expire, or the producer of the work has placed it in the public domain which means simply that it is not covered by copyright and anyone can use it. It's a very tricky area though and it's always wise to state where an image came from even if you are sure that it is in the public domain and if in doubt, don't use it. Of course, you can get round the whole thing by using your own photographs of dishes that you have prepared using the recipies in the book.

Anything copyrighted would stay copyrighted, wherever it is placed that's what I thought but that's just because I always go with the safe side public domain is a term for the domain itself, doesn't mean everything in it is copyright free I might be wrong so do what you think is best

If it's does not have a copyright then it's public domain, unless it's an area where (IN this case) the site has a copyright on the site! It's tricky, good luck! I'd go for it, no ones going to question you, at least that's what I'd do ! tdemex

Hello my friend gtargirl Ji, I think, it is a very much controversial subject and people including me make use of such items to explain others. In case, it should not be copied down and made use of the same, difefrent tools are used. May God bless You and have a great time.