Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with publicdomain

Lookin' for words in all the wrong places

Madamina — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:53:09 -0800

Between my iPhone's Stanza app and the loooooong quiet days ahead of me in the office during the holiday season, I'd like to read some stuff online. Any suggestions? I'm basically looking for good stories: things with a bit of a narrative that will keep me wondering what happens next. They should be easy to get into and not particularly deep (I will likely be interrupted a lot).

Nonfiction: longer articles with a bit of a twist, like New Yorker or Vanity Fair pieces about interesting people or events. Not commentary (unless it has some sort of unique backstory).

Fiction I've already enjoyed on Project Gutenberg: anything by the Brontes and L.M. Montgomery. I've also read pretty much everything that appeals to me (thus far) in the Harlequin online reads library, although I don't generally read paper romance novels.

I've seen this thread and this one too.

Thanks!

Now that we've put the books online, how do we get them back onto paper?

yamel — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:40:32 -0800

How do I prepare digitized public domain works for clean print on demand? Organizations like Google and the Open Content Alliance are, of course, digitizing millions of public domain books. The OCA provides a variety of downloadable files (jpeg 2000, pdf full color or b/w, djvu) for their content. Their intent in scanning is to create images that are great for viewing on a computer screen. Printing and binding is not a consideration for them.

Here is a sample title. It's various files are located here.

So, of the variety of files offered, which would be the easiest to work with in order to create a legible paper copy from a vendor like Lulu.com? Things I'd need to be able to do:

- add binding margin, or occasionally margin all around,
- normalize page size (as images sometimes seem randomly cropped) with minimal image distortion,
- if working with the OCA PDF files, strip hidden characters (OCR),
- batch process, or minimize page-by-page work so that each can be prepared in less than 60 minutes,
- clean up shadows or distracting grayscale fields behind the text,
- deliver small-ish b/w PDF

I have had marginal (ha, get it?!) success with a few of these steps depending on which source I begin with, but no success on all points. I have access to Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems, and Adobe Acrobat Pro on the Mac, but no budget for other pro tools. I'd love to hear of pro tools that would do the job, though, if there's a true magic bullet for all of the above processes.

I see this kind of material being put out by the University of Michigan and Cornell, but I'm not sure if they're starting from files meant for this kind of operation. Oh, and the 'why' and 'should you even try' questions are someone else's domain; I'm just trying to figure out how

can we get to sesame street?

cvilleluke — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:03:13 -0800

question about copyright infringement regarding sesame street characters. my wife has been asked by a friend to make some large decorative paintings to line a fence at new daycare center (for profit). the general request was for cartoon characters. after reading some horror stories about disney suing a few daycares in florida for having murals of their trademarked characters on walls, she wants to make sure that what she ends up doing is legal or at least not a probable lawsuit. she has emailed the sesame st people but not gotten a reply. the project needs to be underway quickly and we are trying to get a feel for whether elmo, big bird and the gang are safe to rip off. there is a lot of free clip art of these characters out there and it seems that they may simply be old enough to be public domain. any thoughts?

Public domain topographic maps?

ConstantineXVI — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:01:50 -0800

Is there somewhere that has the USGS (public-domain?) topographic maps available for free download? I'm trying to set a friend up with a off-road GPS app (ViewRanger), and trying to get the topographic maps of the USA for it. I know that the USGS produces these maps, and (IIRC) since they're government-produced, the maps are public domain and therefore one can get them free. Is there anyone that offers these maps for free download? Even better, in a format that ViewRanger supports?

PS: I'm a total newbie to this, feel free to correct me on anything I got wrong

Using Creative Commons licensed works on a political website?

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:22:57 -0800

Dear mefites, Is it legal to use creative commons stuff, properly licensed and attributed, on a political website that 1) expresses views that the original author might not like, and 2) raises money, such as for a candidate or a party's branch? Particularly interested in stuff that's got a non-commercial license but is okay to use for derivative works. This is in the U.K. Thanks!

Useful, beautiful, and legal

notquitemaryann — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:55:58 -0800

Can Spoonflower or a similar company legally print me a bolt of fabric using a William Morris (1834-1896) design? Please forgive any glaring stupidity in this question. I assumed the answer to it was yes, until I attempted to double-check with Google, and have managed to confuse myself anew as to copyright and trademarks and public domain. There are of course companies which sell Morris prints from around $25 to $200 a yard, but is there anything preventing me (apart from Spoonflower's discretion, and possibly good taste) from having my own batch made up for less? I've suddenly been loaned a gorgeous Arts and Crafts-style rug, and my blank white bedroom walls are looking very sad by comparison.

What are some great public domain books?

peacheater — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:38:52 -0800

Please give me your recommendations for great in-the-public-domain reads. Since buying a Kindle last year, a number of out-of-copyright books have become accessible since I can now read them on the Kindle rather than on my computer screen.
I know of many good sources for such books: the MobileRead forums, Feedbooks, Manybooks and of course Project Gutenberg. The hard part is figuring out what's worth reading beforehand. So far I've read through lots of Wodehouse, all the Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie and Josephine Tey that's out of copyright, all of Jerome K Jerome's work and lots of Mark Twain and George Orwell's essays. So tell me, what other great free reads am I missing out on? I'm mostly looking for light, fun reads, though please don't let that stop you from making a recommendation.

Public Domain Photos

hamster — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:23:37 -0800

I'd like to find some public domain photos for a book proposal on urban sprawl and smart growth. I'm helping my professors with a book proposal for my graduate assistantship and have been tasked with finding high resolution photos. They must be in the public domain and should be examples of either urban sprawl or smart growth. Where should I start looking?

Thanks for your help!

Taps lyrics in the public domain?

cider — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:31:55 -0800

When were the popular lyrics to Taps written? I'm wondering if anyone knows (or can find out) when the following lyrics to Taps were written.

Day is done, gone the sun
From the lake, from the hills,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

What I'd really like to know is whether these lyrics are in the public domain.

Thank you!

Best of public domain games

JaySunSee — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:02:13 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations on gpl'd or public domain card games and role playing games. Which ones are easiest to learn and the most fun?

Public Domain Photos

Ragma — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:25:03 -0800

I have a website where I upload all of my photos and license them as public domain. Each photo is individually listed as public domain, each has a link to it's Creative Commons "license" as a work in the public domain, and the site is rather obviously all about photos in the public domain. The problem - Large companies are taking my photos and, without editing them, putting their copyright on them. Is this evil, and how nasty should I be about it? Here's an example. In the nature scenes category alone most of the images they use are mine. There were all taken from my site 100% unedited as far as I can see. Now........ They do put my name on some of them, but not the website, and while some mention me many don't.

However - My issue is just the copyright notice. I don't mind them using the image, even if they don't give me attribution. But putting the images in the public domain means a lot to me. Having a large corporation place their copyright on them seriously bothers me. It is my hope that people will take the images and do wonderful things with them. And that includes taking them directly from American Greetings, stripping off their copyright, and using them for any purpose.

I understand that I lose control of the photos once I place them in the public domain. I'm fine with that. But I want the image to stay in the public domain. In other words, everyone loses the same control over the image, not just me. And I understand that creative application of the image could result in a very legitimate need for copyright.

There are other examples, some even more gratuitous. But this is the latest example and the one that is making me think I need to take action.

Can a company take works in the public domain and assert a copyright, especially if the work is unedited?

Please note - I'm avoiding a self link, but my site shouldn't be hard to find by even a cursory attempt. I'll be happy to link to the original location of the photo linked above if such a self link is deemed appropriate.

Finding anatomy poster source image?

andreux — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:50:06 -0800

How can I find the original source image from an anatomy poster? I'm looking for the original source image that this poster is taken from.

It looks like it's from an old anatomy textbook and is probably something now in the public domain.

I've found similar old anatomy color plates on Wikipedia and Project Gutenberg but can't find this particular work. I've also tried Googling some of the phrases from the inscription, but no luck.

Any suggestions?

Which Creative Commons license is most like public domain?

cog_nate — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:52:48 -0800

Which Creative Commons license is most like public domain? Does it make any sense to license the content I've posted if it's in the public domain? I have a collection of images on flickr which, from everything I've read, are in the public domain.

Here are the options Flickr gives under licensing:
None (All rights reserved)
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons
Attribution Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike Creative Commons
Attribution-NoDerivs Creative Commons

Flickr has no "public domain" option. I'll be honest, I got confused as to which is most like public domain and whether I should or even can license the content, and how. "None" can't be right, can it? Since I only mined images out of a database and there's nothing expressive about the reproductions, it's still public domain. Right? In the set descriptions I've inserted that, to my knowledge, the images are in the public domain. Is that all I need to do? Is there a CC option that fits this collection?

Is it or isn't it public domain?

[insert clever name here] — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:21:51 -0800

Is it or isn't it public domain? News article published in 1909 should be in the public domain, but news service I purchased it from says its copyrighted. I just purchased a news article from 1909 from the Washington post news archives. It's dated 1909 and I had planned to republished it on another site as I thought it would be public domain. When I got the document, it said its copyrighted. I *thought* everything pre 1909 was public domain. Am I wrong or are they throwing a blanket copyright statement on to cover their arses? I did a search and found this thread with what appears to be a similar question. So if I retype the article that is scanned, it should be safe to republish?

Help me release a beautiful image into the public domain.

fake — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:00:19 -0800

I need to make a simple contract in which I photograph something and the resulting images end up in the public domain. I have been asked to photograph a very old architectural painting. I am doing this work for "free". The complexity of the subject has prevented previous photographers from capturing it, but I have software techniques that neatly solve their problems.

What I want from the deal is the image rights released into the public domain, so that everyone can enjoy the resulting images, any way they want.

I know you are not a lawyer, and I am not going to talk to one. I thought you might have a simple paragraph or know of some resources/templates I could use. I'll post it to Projects when I'm done. Thanks.

national flags ... public domain?

deep_sea_diving_suit — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:04:54 -0800

Are national flags in the public domain? Are there legal implications/restrictions on altering national flags for profitable purposes (art, etc.)? Is there a kind of general rule or do various sovereign states have drastically different laws/codes defining what can and cannot be done with their flags?

(FWIW I'm an American.)

What is the weirdest, scariest public domain picture you have ever seen?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:45:59 -0800

Can you recommend me some bizarre and/or threatening public domain photographs? What I'm looking for:

-Images with a lot of depth that are vaguely menacing. Example: this photo of generators inside the Hoover Dam.
-In conjunction with, in addition to, or notwithstanding the above, fanciful and exuberantly weird photos or drawings. Example: the Flammarion woodcut.
-Basically, imagine that you're compiling the imagery for a historical work that chronicles the beginning of the end of the world in a parallel universe.

What I'm not looking for:

-Databases, collections, or listings of public domain images: I know how to find those, thanks.
-Depictions of violence, or anything that might be interpreted as some sort of social commentary. Abstraction is key.

Basically what I'm asking, I guess, is:

What's the weirdest, scariest picture - available in the public domain - you have ever seen?

Are U.S. Government publications in the Public Domain?

jdroth — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:33:05 -0800

Are U.S. Government publications copyrighted or in the Public Domain? More specifically, are Federal Reserve publications copyrighted or in the Public Domain? I'd like to be able to monkey with these comics, but am wary of violating copyright. (I've sent e-mail to the Federal Reserve asking this same question, but am skeptical that I'll receive a timely response.)

Looking for European history ebooks

happyturtle — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 13:06:25 -0800

I'm trying to find public domain ebooks on European history, particularly from the time of Louis XIV. I heart ebooks, and I recently completed reading Thomas Babington Macaulay's The History of England from the Accession of James II (all five volumes). This has really awakened in me a thirst for more European history. Since the book ends with the death of King William III, I'm most interested in that time--especially for more in depth knowledge of Louis XIV and his wars and conquests.

Does anyone have any recommendations of free history ebooks? I've dug through Project Gutenberg, but without any reviews or blurbs, it's a little hard to figure out the scope of a book. I enjoy reading old history books because the attitudes of the author give a sort of meta-history of the time in which it was written, and because there are no modern political leanings to deal with. (And, also, because of being free, of course)

If you know Macaulay's work, then you can guess that I like the narrative style of history, with lots of detail and interpretation liberally provided. I'm most interested in the 17th century in Europe, but am also open to any good public domain history books from any region and time period.

Thanks!

Public Domain?

davidinmanhattan — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:40:49 -0800

Does the public library have the right to charge a "licensing fee" or "usage fee" for images, photos, drawings, etc., that they have placed online, but that were created before January 1, 1923? Isn't this work in the public domain, and therefore, free of charge? I have tried to do as much research as I can, but I am still confused.
Here are some of the ask mefi posts I have read:
Are these people crazy? A copyright law question.
Can I "borrow" a copyrighted thing?
I have a question regarding copyright, public domain, and the digital domain. It's kind of a "fight the power" thing.

I want to grab images from the New York Public Library's Digital Collection. I do not want to buy prints, I am not looking for high resolution files, nor would I resell these works. I do not think I am obligated to "license" these images. The use is for a semi-commercial blog, that I hope one day might be commercial.

The NYPL states that "Commercial use is any use that brings value to the person or organization displaying the photograph to the public." The library also claims: "As the physical rights holder of this material, most of which is in the public domain for copyright purposes, the Library charges a usage fee to license an image for commercial use (defined above). The usage fee is not a copyright fee. You are free to obtain a copy of these images from a source other than NYPL. Usage fees help ensure that the Library is able to continue to acquire, preserve and provide access to its collections."

It's not that I'm cheap, it's just that I am under the impression that "we" all "own" these works, especially since some of them were created in the 1800s. And the fees the NYPL proposes are $55 to $85, which would become rather expensive for more than a few.

Many thanks for your help!

Favorite small publishers

BigSky — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:59:46 -0800

I love finding books and authors who have been forgotten until a long time fan decides to make their work available again through some labor of love small press. Do you know of a publisher that has a somewhat esoteric focus along these lines? Who are they? Fiction or non is fine. It doesn't have to be someone who republishes old books though. If you know a house that has great taste with contemporary authors, go ahead and share. I would also like to hear about small presses that do particularly beautiful editions of good reading books as long as they are reasonably priced (barely breaking a $100). I've got a few examples inside. I'm thinking of publishers like NYRB, Wooden Books and Narrative Press. I'm open to most subjects as long as the prose is good and the writer is insightful. If it's in science and work has advanced past him or over turned some of his theories that's fine. Strict accuracy is not my concern here.

How do I cite photos in the pubic domain?

piratebowling — Thu, 03 May 2007 19:12:36 -0800

I'm trying to cite photos that are in the public domain. How would I go about doing this? I'm writing a paper where I could really use visual references. I'm trying to cite photographs that I found on wikipedia. One has been placed in public domain by the photographer, the other just requests that he be credited. I'm fine doing this, and I'm even willing to put down wikipedia as my citation (which is pretty embarrassing, but I'm not using any actual information on the site, so I guess it should be okay.)

Should I not in the citation that thee photos have be licensed under creative commons? Should I just treat it as a normal website citation? I just feel a bit lost, guides don't seem to tough this subject.

How can I find the if a movie is in the public domain?

victorashul — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:06:28 -0800

How can I find the if a movie is in the public domain? Is there a website where I can find out which movies are out of copyright (in public domain)?

The only related website i could find is Copyright Records for the US dept but this one is unclear and hard to use.

Does IMDB show this info?

I've searched everywhere and I have still to find a good website with this info.

How can you tell if a film is under copyright?

(bb|[^b]{2}) — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:44:11 -0800

Is there a definitive way to know whether a silent film is in the public domain or not? I'm helping a friend organize a silent film series this Summer, and we're having a hard time finding out which films are, and which are not, in the public domain. Obviously the ones listed on archive.org are public domain, but what about the rest? Is there a tried and true method to determine whether a film (of any age) is still under copyright?

Where can I find vintage NASA animations?

Chinese Jet Pilot — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:42:24 -0800

I'm a fan of vintage NASA animations (like this one), but they are hard to find. I suspect that there's an archive of this stuff available to the public somewhere -- maybe a stack of dusty U-Matic tapes at the Library of Congress. Any ideas where I can find more?