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public domain Definition

☆ public domain

noun

  1. public lands
  2. the condition of being free from copyright or patent and, hence, open to use by anyone

public domain Law Definition

n

Government-owned land; all publications, processes, and inventions that are not protected by patent or copyright.
public domain Telecom Definition
Software, or any work of intellectual property, that was never protected by patent or copyright, on which such protection has expired, or that has been declared by its creator to be released unconditionally for public use, including distribution and modification, in any manner and under any circumstances. Such work is entirely free of any copyright restrictions or any other property protections. See also copyright, freeware, intellectual property, and software.
public domain Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • enter: On expiration, the invention then enters the public domain and is available for others to exploit commercially.