Introduction And Scope Of Public Domain Content
Author: Kirsten Hawkins

Public Domain consists of all inspired work and other
information (Music, invention, artwork, writing, technology,
etc.,) on which no one i.e. Person or Organization claims an
ownership. Such information is considered to be part of
Public's inheritance and anyone can exploit them for their
needs without any restriction.

Public Domain can be General information which includes facts,
ideas, templates, etc. which could be used by anybody for their
needs. Public domain may also be works that may be donated for
Pubic Domain. Some of the works by Government also falls under
Public Domain.

Copyright was designed to get a financial spur to the owner
while works in public domain are present for the public to use
them without any financial constraint. Copyrighted works fall
under public domain once their copyright period is expired.

Not all the information available on the internet fall under
Public domain contents. But all works published in US before
1923 are in the Public Domain. The classic examples would be
Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Bookstores utilize
the public domain by reprinting works that are public domain.

The public domain is a space where intellectual property
protection does not apply. When copyrights and patents expire,
innovations and creative works fall into the public domain.

They may then be used by anyone without permission and without
the payment of a licensing fee. Publicly owned national parks
are also considered by many to be public domain lands. Because
of the extensions of the terms of both copyrights and patents,
and the privatization of lands and other resources owned by the
Federal Government, little is now entering the public domain.

Since the public domain is a treasure trove of information and
resources to be used by future generations, many advocates are
concerned that its stagnation will make it more difficult for
future generations to find creative inspiration.

Copyleft is a way to make program free software and require
those who distribute improved versions of it to make them free
also.

The Copyleft principle is simple. When one programmer creates
program, he has a copyright in that software. Legally, he has
the power to control its use, redistribution, and modification.
By releasing it under a copyleft license he makes the software
available to the public in freedom, while requiring every
released program that reuses his code to be free in the same
way.

Copyleft encourages the user community to contribute to the
improvement of the free software, by closing off the temptation
to make those improvements proprietary. Meanwhile, companies are
free to use, improve and redistribute the software, just like
individuals.


About The Author: David Hooper is a marketing consultant
specializing in the needs small businesses. Visit
http://www.nichepd.com/ for more information on marketing with
public domain content.