The Public Domain - 11th Edition by Stephen Fishman (Paperback)

About the Book

Authors, artists, and songwriters want to build on what's come before them and they don't want to reinvent the wheel. They also don't want to be sued for copyright infringement. This book shows them how to use free content that's in the public domain.

Book Synopsis

Find free content and save on permission fees

Millions of creative works--books, artwork, photos, songs, movies, and more--are available copyright-free in the public domain. Frozen for decades due to lengthened copyright terms, the public domain has finally begun to grow again as copyrights for older works expire. In 2025 alone, books such as The Sound and the Fury, A Farewell to Arms, and All Quiet on the Western Front, songs like Singin' in the Rain" and "Happy Days Are Here Again," and the character Popeye entered the public domain.

This is the only book that helps you find and identify which creative works are protected by copyright and which are not, The Public Domain covers rules for using all types of public domain works, including books and other written works, songs, art, movies, and more.

The 10th edition is completely updated to include new public domain resources and the latest legal changes to copyright and the public domain, including the copyrightability of AI-generated works.

Review Quotes

"A public domain was one of the Framers' most important gifts to our cultural tradition. This extraordinary book makes real the value of that gift in the 21st century." Lawrence W. Lessig, Stanford Law Professor & Author of Code & Other Laws of Cyberspace

"A unique guide to finding and using copyright-free material with no permission or fees necessary." Outstanding Academic Title Award by CHOICE

"A superb offering..." Chicago Tribune

"How do you tell the difference between what's copyrighted and what isn't? A good starting point is ... The Public Domain." Associated Press

"This is absolutely the first book on the Public Domain -- and it is WONDERFUL!!" Public Domain Information Project www.pdinfo.com