Public Domain Books
The main guideline for a book to fall into the public domain is that the copyright has to have expired for a period of 95 years. Well, to be specific, it actually depends on when the book was published. You can read it in detail at this link from Cornell University if you are interested.
So when a book does fall into this category, anyone can republish the book, in part or in whole under the same title. There are some rules, such as making a unique cover and illustrations. Regardless, it makes for a bit of confusion unfortunately. So, if you think you are purchasing an entire book, you may indeed be purchasing just ¾ or ½ of one. Yes, it was cheaper, but it was only half of what you needed. Argh. So frustrating!
The books I’ve listed below are some primary examples of ones we’ve found that our customers have had these problems with in the past and of which we offer the whole book on our website.
- Our Island Story
- This Country of Ours
- Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
- The Struggle for Sea Power