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Public Domain Content To Create Profitable Products..."

Are World War II Speeches In The Public Domain?

March 11th, 2010 · Public Domain Q&A

Hi Logan,

I’m currently working on a project which involves speeches given during WWII. Any idea on the copyright status of these and how to research the copyright? I am based in the UK.

Thanks

Jim

Hi Jim,

Most likely, you won’t have to do much (if any) copyright research for this project partially because of the timeframe involved (1939 to 1945) and the fact that…

  1. Any work created by an employee of the United States Federal Government while in the course of performing their official duties is automatically in the Public Domain under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code. This would of course include speeches given by U.S. Presidents and U.S. Military personnel.
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  2. All works protected by Crown Copyright fall into the Public Domain fifty years after they are created as verified by this quote taken from a message from the Office for Public Sector Information (formerly the HMSO)…“Crown copyright protection in published material lasts for fifty years from the end of the year in which the material was first published. Therefore, to use your example, material published in 1954, and any Crown copyright material published before that date, would now be out of copyright, and may be freely reproduced throughout the world.”

    This of course would include speeches performed by U.K. officials performing official duties in service of the Crown including Winston Churchill.

Beyond that, if desiring to use speeches performed by Government officials of other countries around the globe other than the U.S. and the U.K., an assessment must be made on a case by case basis as to the copyright durations offered to such works by their country of origin.

If you run into a sticky spot let me know and I will be glad to help.

Thanks Jim!

About The Author:

Logan Andrew is an online entrepreneur, information publisher, and author that has been using Public Domain material to create profitable products and businesses since 2001. He is also co-author of "The Guide To Public Domain Profits" available here. For more info Logan, click here.

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Fail and Fail Fast! Why I’m Moving To A WP Blog

March 11th, 2010 · Case Studies

WordPress
Image via Wikipedia

In the internet marketing world – you learn to fail and fail fast!  I’ve failed more times than I can count… or want to admit.

What did I fail at this time?

I recently started to teach a small group how to use Google Blogger blogs as a place to use Public Domain content and make a few bucks.

I’ve done this system many times – and it works for me.

But!!!  I know (and you know it) that having your own domain name and hosted Word Press blog is really key for making large niche websites. Word Press is a content management system that just works for niche marketing.

If you are serious – and it seems that most of you are – then it just makes sense to start your niche marketing projects on a hosted WP blog format.  The cost is not really and issue.

I mean $9.00 for a domain name and $5.00 per month hosting with hostgator would get the job done.

I’ve decided to go ahead and Fail and Fail Fast -  lick my wounds… and move the content from Google Blogger to a hosted WP blog.

I will need some time to “revamp” the lessons.  It’s all good.

Giving you the help you need is my main objective.

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About The Author:

Debra Conrad is an online entrepreneur, information publisher, and author that has been using Public Domain material to create profitable products and businesses since 2007. She is also co-author of "The Guide To Public Domain Profits" available here. For more info Debra, click here.

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It’s Not Paradise Searching For New Niche Ideas

March 10th, 2010 · Case Studies

Lifestyle Keywords vs Product & Brand Keywords
Image by Craig Key via Flickr

This is where “newbies” really get hung up.  Try to find a new niche idea that has all the “right” numbers… and you feel confident that you can “get 1st page on Google ranking”.   Where do you start?

Lynn Terry at http://www.clicknewz.com makes it look so easy… and it is easy to find great new niche ideas – once you get the hang of it.

Until you do… I’m here to help.

The problem usually is this:

The niche ideas you have are not focused down to smaller niches.

So – let’s see if we can’t figure something out here.

Lets focus on searching for a niche idea in  “cooking” (for instance):

What do you like about cooking?

If I were asked that question right now…

hmmm….

I like to make easy stuff most of the time. I can get creative and spend time on a meal… but it gets eaten in 10 minutes and I’m left with a mess to clean up.

I really like to make “big batches” of stuff. Like a huge pot of spaghetti sauce or a huge pot of bean something or a huge pot of soup. We only have the two of us now… but I love having something that tastes really good and I can serve several times over the week.   – Or save in batches in the freezer.

No Thinking Cooking is my favorite kind of cooking.

So with that in mind…

I know my target market.

  • It’s not moms.
  • It’s couples that want to eat something great – have left overs – and it’s easy to make.
  • Oh… and I don’t want them to be fattening either. We are always looking for things that are lower in calories.

Okay… so now I’ve got a niche idea.

Now… go looking for keywords that have to do with:

  • cooking easy meals.
  • cooking large meals on the weekend and being able to serve (or save)
    them for other meals.
  • brainstorm some other ideas in this area.

What would be the “buy keyword” angle?

Now – I’ve hit a wall… because I know I  don’t want to buy recipes. (I might buy a cookbook – but not single recipes).

  • I might want someone to send me a new recipe to try every week.
  • I might want them to send me the shopping list of ingredients and the recipe.
  • And I would really like to have a picture of what the meal will look like.

Why would I go into this cooking niche?

1. I have a great subject that I find interesting to talk about.
2. I know that I can find cool stuff in Public Domain
3. I need a few more Pots, Freezer containers etc. to make my new recipes in – I bet those reading my blog would as well.
4. I’ll just bet I can make money with affiliate products, new cookbooks and adsense.

I can already visualize how I would “set” this whole little niche up.

Next Step:

I head over to do some keyword research and look for good numbers. etc.

Lynn Terry has written some great articles about keyword research. These two will lead you to several (many) others on keyword research for new niche ideas. You don’t need to buy a product – Lynn provides all this information for Free!  Dig in:

http://www.clicknewz.com/986/keyword-research-how-many-searches-is-enough/

http://www.clicknewz.com/2222/how-can-i-promote-my-website-for-free/

Don’t Have Time For Keyword Research?

Want keyword research done for you???  My friend and fellow SSWT Elite member Adriana Copaceanu does keyword research – and her prices are budget friendly.

About The Author:

Debra Conrad is an online entrepreneur, information publisher, and author that has been using Public Domain material to create profitable products and businesses since 2007. She is also co-author of "The Guide To Public Domain Profits" available here. For more info Debra, click here.

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Can I Really Do Anything I Want With The Books That I Download From Project Gutenberg?

March 9th, 2010 · Public Domain How-To

 A reader sent in a question today about the legalities of using Public Domain texts downloaded from Project Gutenberg.

This question has actually come across the Support Desk a few times this week from some our newer readers so I thought I would answer the question here publicly so that everyone can benefit from the answer.

Here was the original question as received today:

Recently, I bought Amazon Kindle Profits from you. In the book Project Gutenberg is listed as a PD book source. I have downloaded several ebooks from them (full text). With the books there is infomation on Project Gutenberg, that it is a trademark and includes a license and terms of use for distribution of their ebooks. Their license tells you what you can and can’t do with their books. Is permission from them needed to list and sell the books on Kindle?

And a similar version asked earlier…

“I was going over the license and agreement at Gutenberg.org and they said you cannot sell their public domain books, you can download it to read or give away but cannot sell them. Is this true?”

Here’s the answer:

Here’s the deal with Gutenberg. When you download one of their books and open it, if you scroll down a little you’ll find the **The Legal Small Print** section of the document.

I will quote various passages of this legal section below and then add my comments so that you can obtain a better understanding of what can be done with the books that you download from Gutenberg.

Here’s a section from the **The Legal Small Print** section of a document I downloaded just today:

ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS

This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etexts, is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this
etext under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark.Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market any commercial products without permission."

In other words, they acknowledge that the book is in the Public Domain and we can do anything we want with it including repackaging and selling for profit.

They only ask you to follow certain rules if you distribute the text with the PROJECT GUTENBERG trademark still attached – otherwise, you can use the actual text any way you want to.

So here’s what you do (and Gutenberg is okay with this)…

Remove all of the legal disclaimers and anything and everything that has anything to do with PROJECT GUTENBERG – that’s it.

On every text that you download you’ll find a PROJECT GUTENBERG legal disclaimer at the top of the document and sometimes all the way at the end.

Just remove all of this information leaving nothing but the actual Public Domain work intact and then you are free to use it any way you want.

Here’s another section from the **The Legal Small Print** section of the same document:

"DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm"

You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this "Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, or: [1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, if you wish, distribute this [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent form by the program that displays the etext (as is the case, for instance, with most word processors); OR[*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC or other equivalent proprietary form). [2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this "Small Print!" statement.[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the gross profits you derive calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to let us know your plans and to work out the details."

Again, notice in the above text that they tell you that you may do what you want with this text as long as you delete the “Small Print” and all references to Project Gutenberg.

So, you’re free to use documents downloaded from PROJECT GUTENBERG in any manner that you see fit as long as the book is clearly stated as being in the Public Domain.

There are some copyrighted works on PG in which the authors of the books have given PROJECT GUTENBERG the right to distribute but this right does not extend to us – these books you can download and read, but not sell. These books will be clearly marked as being protected by international copyright law.

Additionally, if you live outside of the United States, you may run into a situation where a book on PROJECT GUTENBERG is Public Domain in the U.S. but not outside of it.

With the majority of the Public Domain books on PG this not an issue, but it’s recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the copyright laws work in the country in which you live – either that or just make sure that your websites are hosted in the U.S., but that’s the topic of another discussion (see our report, “The Global Copyright Dilemma” which comes as a free bonus with our book, “The Guide To Public Domain Profits” for more details).

To reinforce my points above and really drive this home even further, I will quote from the “Project Gutenberg License Explained Page” on the PG site:

"These books are in the public domain in the United States and everybody — including Project Gutenberg and you — may read and distribute them. If you don't live in the United States you'll have to check the laws of the country you live in before downloading and distributing our ebooks.A Project Gutenberg ebook is made out of two parts: the public domain book and the non public domain Project Gutenberg trademark and license. If you strip the Project Gutenberg license and all references to Project Gutenberg from the ebook, you are left with a public domain ebook. You can do anything you want with that."

Another thing that I would like to mention is that if you are feeling guilty about “borrowing” Public Domain texts from Project Gutenberg, then feel free to make a donation!

They will gladly accept monetary donations in any amount. Project Gutenberg depends on the time and efforts of devoted volunteers and donations from loyal users like us to survive.

By giving a little back to a Public Domain resource site every time you take, you’ll be helping to ensure that these sites will continue to thrive and continue to provide us with even more great Public Domain works down the road.

Make your mother proud, give a little back (in most cases, this may be considered a tax deduction as well!).

Hope that helps!

Warmly,


For More Information About The Project Gutenberg License, Click Here…

About The Author:

Logan Andrew is an online entrepreneur, information publisher, and author that has been using Public Domain material to create profitable products and businesses since 2001. He is also co-author of "The Guide To Public Domain Profits" available here. For more info Logan, click here.

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How Does MSN Use Public Domain Advertising Images?

March 9th, 2010 · Public Domain How-To

Today – I was on one of my “down the rabbit hole” searches for something online. My original venture today over on MSN was actually because I was using the OCI tool.

Something caught my eye… always dangerous! :)

Advertising Through The Ages – Then… and Now!

I clicked on the link “About this Image”:

See the link for Wikemedia Commons?  Don’t click on it!  (unless you want to find some cool Public Domain Images).

MSN tells why they created this series of banners using Public Domain Images

“Throughout history, as long as humans have engaged in trade with one another, commercial messages, political displays, product branding and other forms of advertising have been found. Evidence of this is found in all the early human civilizations: political campaign displays in ancient Arabia; sales messages and wall posters on papyrus in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome; wall and rock painting throughout Asia, Africa, and South America. In the 15th and 16th centuries, with the advent of printing technology, we began to see handbills and eventually daily newspapers.”

“In honor of this timeless process of connecting the advertiser with the consumer, we’ve developed a series of banners that offer a retrospective on “Advertising through the Ages”.

What do you use Public Domain images for?

Tell me – just scroll down and leave a comment…

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About The Author:

Debra Conrad is an online entrepreneur, information publisher, and author that has been using Public Domain material to create profitable products and businesses since 2007. She is also co-author of "The Guide To Public Domain Profits" available here. For more info Debra, click here.

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