Freelancing Reviews

Public Domain Part 5 Derivative Works High Ticket Items Part 1 Of 2

Public Domain, Part 5: Derivative Works - - High Ticket Items, Part 1 of 2

Collectively, public domain works total up to many tens of thousands. The pool of products that are to be had goes up in number every single day. There are hundreds, and probably thousands of high quality databases online. You can search these for public domain subject matter.

However, are you knowledgeable about the places OFFLINE that you can drop in on, starting tomorrow morning - - and walk off with armsful of public domain writings that you can duplicate? In second - hand shops and small used bookstores, there are literally thousands of public domain books, pamphlets, and periodicals - - right on the shelves, quietly waiting to be revived. Can you think of a better person to do this, than YOU?

Our new millennium, and the information age are very similar to the Gold Rush of 1849, in which hundreds of thousands excitedly hurried Westward in a mad dash of gold - crazed pioneers. By using free information and articles, you can quickly upload small tons of articles - - in the thousands! - - on a particular subject, in no time at all, and for almost no expense.

If you were trying to buy hundreds or thousands of articles, it would cost a huge amount of money... money that you you would never be guaranteed to be returned, even with the highest quality Google AdSense Web site. As for the large amounts of time needed to ferret out appropriate “land - based” works, in stores or libraries... some people love this process the most! The discovery of that hidden gem among the thousands of battered old Zane Grey westerns, is the pinnacle of their day!

Many producers of works destined to become copyrighted ( derivative works ) “repackage” federal government informational products and market them commercially. Is this a potential problem? No, not for the publisher / producer and not for the information’s end user. The person republishing the government work will not receive a copyright for the portion of the new work that is in the public domain. Any copyright stated by this kind of publisher is only for the new material that they have included, such as a special index, a preface, newly - created content, or new art works, among many things.

End users of these new works are only allowed to replicate the text or data as it was originally presented in the federal government’s document. They are not permitted to utilize the copyrighted items added by the new publisher who republished the material.

As a matter of fact, for new pieces that are comprised of predominantly federal government products, the copyright notice will need to clearly pinpoint the new portions of the work, and which are qualified for copyright protection. In other words, the government works that were incorporated are * not * eligible for protection, but all of the new material added probably is, if it has satisfied the requirements for creativity and originality.

Other publishers might do a lot more than simply republish the product. They might arrange an adaptation from the document. For example, if a publisher arranged a synopsis or abridgment of a government report, that abridgment is an adaptation... a derivative work. Or, if an artist chose four government - produced photos and designed an artistic montage of the photographs, that is an adaptation. The reworked copy would be entitled to copyright protection. However, anybody else might still use the original government work and design his or her own adaptation.

So! What earthly good is a book that was copyrighted and published before 1923?

Public domain books and other printed materials can be found all over the place, with the most likely being that little second - hand book store down the way from where you live. But - - change the title, add some of your own paragraphs, include your own pictures, update antiquated spellings and remove outdated phraseology, and your new book is now copyright protected. However, tiny changes are inadequate to ensure that your new Ebook will be categorized as a “derivative work” and be copyright protected. You must make substantial changes.

Are you now raring to go? We thought so! Start tomorrow in the Yellow Pages, under “Antiquarian, ” or simply “old book resellers. ” This new Gold Rush of yours in the brick - and - mortar world, is bound to be both profitable and fun!

Now, we invite you to read Part 2 of this article.

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About The Author:

Peter Dobler is a veteran in the IT business. His passion for experimenting with new internet marketing strategies leads him to explore new niche markets.
Read more about his experience with freelancing; visit http://freelancing.tip4u2.com