Q. What does it mean if materials are in the public domain?

Materials in the public domain are no longer subject to copyright and can be used without permissions. Determining if a work is in the public domain can be complicated because the duration of copyright protection differs depending on the format and work's authorship. It is also important to note that countries have different copyright laws and different duration of copyright protection. Patrons are responsible for ensuring they comply with applicable copyright and it is often necessary to assess the copyright status of a work in a different jurisdiction. For example, when submitting a manuscript with third-party copyright protected materials to an international publisher.