Definition of PUBLIC DOMAIN • Law Dictionary • TheLaw.com

Intellectual property, such as a creative work, invention or logo that is not or no longer protected by copyright and available to be used without permission or authorization from its owner. This will frequently occur after the expiration of a copyright, patent or trademark. Something that is shared with and owned and freely used by the community for public purposes and cannot be acquired by any individual or private entity. See also res universitatis.

Related Legal Terms & Definitions

RES UNIVERSITATIS Latin meaning "universal thing.” Something that is shared with and owned by the community for…
INFRINGEMENT The violation of law or a right. This term is most frequently used with regard…
PUBLISHED WORK A term regarding intellectual property, in copyright law it is an original work of authorship…
CREATIVE COMMONS A nonprofit organization concerned with copyright that is dedicated to making intellectual property more freely…
COPYRIGHT OWNER This may refer to (i) the original author or developer of the work of authorship…
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY The legal property that is the creative product of the mind, which includes the law…
PRIVATE PROPERTY Land owned by a private person or party and not by the government or not…
WORK MADE FOR HIRE An exception to the general rule of copyright where a person who creates a work…