Re: What is public domain? Was: Re: wdm on debian??

[john@dhh.gt.org]

> Guys, what exactly *is* public domain?

A public domain work is one for which no copyright exists (not no copyright
notice or no copyright license: no copyright).  The only way I know for
sure that a work can enter the public domain is by having its copyright
expire.  The US copyright law does not seem to recognize the possibility
that an author might volutarily place a work in the public domain: not
surprising considering who wrote the law.

> Is public domain DFSG-ok?

Yes.  _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ can go into main.

> The images (some of you may know them, the so-called "Pillars" [1]) are
> in the public domain according to GSFC.

The copyright on works created by US government employees on government
time belongs to the government.  The US copyright law says that the
government may not use said law to enforce its copyright: thus anyone can
copy such works with impunity *in the US*.  Such works are not, however, in
the public domain.  They may not be DFSG free, since the government might
be able to sue you in the courts of another country for copying them there.

Bizarre, isn't it?
-- 
John Hasler
john@dhh.gt.org (John Hasler)
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI