public domain

noun, Law.
1.
the status of a literary work or an invention whose copyright or patent has expired or that never had such protection.
2.
land owned by the government.
Origin
1825-35, Americanism
Related forms
public-domain, adjective
Examples from the web for public domain
  • Pretty much anything public domain is available and free.
  • The public domain has been cheated for years by ill-advised expansions of intellectual property rights.
  • If a company doesn't vigorously defend it's intellectual property, it quickly belongs to the public domain.
  • There are websites where you can download free audio books from the public domain.
  • These images are in the public domain and may be reproduced, free of charge with the proper credit line.
  • The audio version, pulled from a radio broadcast, is considered in the public domain.
  • All the information belongs to the global community and will be released into the public domain.
  • It takes a while to figure out what a study has revealed, to know what should be put into the public domain.
  • Here was his evidence, which was all lying around in the public domain.
  • It's another thing when he accuses those of us who have of lying or misrepresenting what is in the public domain.
British Dictionary definitions for public domain

public domain

noun
1.
(US) lands owned by a state or by the federal government
2.
the status of a published work or invention upon which the copyright or patent has expired or which has not been patented or subject to copyright. It may thus be freely used by the public
3.
in the public domain, able to be discussed and examined freely by the general public
public domain in Technology


(PD) The total absence of copyright protection. If something is "in the public domain" then anyone can copy it or use it in any way they wish. The author has none of the exclusive rights which apply to a copyright work.
The phrase "public domain" is often used incorrectly to refer to freeware or shareware (software which is copyrighted but is distributed without (advance) payment). Public domain means no copyright -- no exclusive rights. In fact the phrase "public domain" has no legal status at all in the UK.
See also archive site, careware, charityware, copyleft, crippleware, guiltware, postcardware and -ware. Compare payware.