how do you know public domain?

[Smeagolthevile]

How do you know if a book you would like to read is in the public domain or not?

Especially for short stories that appeared In collections.

[Jc]

If first published before 1923, it's PD in the USA. There is some detective work involved, as you would need to track down the first publication, but usually a quick googling gives the answer.

In other countries, it goes with the year of the author's death, usu. death +50 or 75 years.

Here's a page that should answer some questions:
http://librivox.org/public-domain/

[Sandra7]

Hello,
I just wanted to know if Edwin L. Arnold is ok. He died in 1935 so should be alright to record from England but just wanted to be certain.

All the best,
Sandra.

[annise]

Hi Sandra

for us to use it for Librivox it has to be PD in America - that is where our files are stored . So it usually needs to be written before 1923.

Anne

[RuthieG]

It will depend entirely on when the work was published, Sandra. As far as I can see, nearly everything he wrote was published long before 1923. Did you have something specific in mind?

Ruth