What do Wicked, Sherlock and West Side Story have in common? They’re all possible because the works they are based on are in the public domain. That means copyright on the original works has expired, so they can be freely adapted. L. Frank Baum’s novel, The Wizard of Oz, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, essentially belong to the public*.
We get a lot of questions about the term ‘public domain.’ It is commonly believed that anything that is publicly available (such as content on the Internet) is in the public domain. In fact, most online content is protected by copyright.
Just because you can read or download a resource, that doesn’t mean you can adapt it, reproduce it, or share copies with others. Before doing so, you must always read the terms of use provided by the copyright owner or determine if a copyright exception (such as Fair Dealing) applies to your intended use.
Watch our short video to learn more:
If you have questions about copyright:
*Note: Only the original works are in the public domain. Newer adaptations or translations are likely to be copyright protected.
Library Technician
Pictou/Colchester-East Hants/Cumberland Region
Librarian Educator
Halifax Infirmary, Central Zone
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