PublicDomainWerken

PublicDomainWerken, or public domain works, are creative works that are not protected by copyright or other exclusive rights, making them freely available for use by anyone. In many legal traditions a work becomes public domain either because the copyright term has expired, the author has waived rights, or the work was created by a government entity and is not eligible for copyright.

Copyright terms vary by country. Commonly, protection lasts for the life of the author plus a number of years (regional variations include 50 or 70 years). Corporate authorship, anonymous works, and posthumous publications may have different term rules. Some jurisdictions also permit explicit dedication to the public domain through licenses or notices that remove all rights.

Once a work is in the public domain, it may be copied, distributed, performed, displayed, or adapted without seeking permission. However, other intellectual property rights such as trademarks, privacy rights, or rights of publicity may still apply to specific uses, and moral rights may limit certain modifications in some places.

Public domain materials support education, research, culture, and digital preservation by enabling free access and reuse. They are commonly used in libraries, museums, film restoration, and creative remix projects, and they serve as a pool of materials for new works.

Public domain status is jurisdiction-dependent, so users should check local rules to confirm whether and when a work is in the public domain in their country.