When seeking US published works in the public domain, there is a gray area from 1923 to 1963 where the book may or may not be in the public domain. To determine if a book with a copyright in that date range is in the public domain and freely usable, take the following steps.
Copyright is a legal tool that provides the creator of a work the right to control how a work is used. US Copyright law is a Federal Law which protects all kinds of works of authorship. This includes books, magazines, newspapers, and other writings. but can also include music, art, photographs, films/videos, computer software, [...]
Anyone working with public domain materials for any length of time knows that the U.S. Government is a treasure trove of materials that can be used without restrictions. Within its web sites (and physical archives) you can find books, photographs, films, software, demographics databases and much more.
Public domain publishing can be a very profitable business if you know what you are doing. The basics are not difficult to understand.
To make really big and ongoing, regular profits from a handful of eager buyers, you might consider choosing a definite niche and focus purely on books and other products to tempt members of that niche. Niche markets are those where members share a specific and tightly definable interest, such as bellringing, Boxer dogs, collecting [...]
The 4th edition of “The Public Domain: How to Find & Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More” by Attorney Stephen Fishman is an exceptional guide to this often confusing topic of public domain works that just happen to be free for the taking if you know what to look for and where to look.
