Definitions for "public domain"
Openly available to everyone and not subject to copyright protection. Public...
Term used to describe the availability to the public of an intellectual property that is not under copyright, trademark, or other private claims.
The status of a recording or composition that is free of copyright protection or that is no longer owned by a Publishing company, and available for unrestricted use by anyone. The U.S. copyright statute gives an author control over a copyrighted work for a certain period of time (see “Term of Copyright”). After that time is up, the work is considered public domain. For example, a piece by Beethoven would be considered Public Domain; however, in order to be used in a film or television project a sound recording of the music must be licensed. In this case, the appropriate license would be a Master Use License. Existing recordings of public domain music generally may not be used without the permission of the owner of the recording.
Land owned, controlled, or heretofore disposed of by the U.S. government.
All federal government-owned land that is subject to the general land laws.
Land owned by the Federal government for the benefit of the citizens. The original public domain included the lands that were turned over to the Federal Government by the Colonial States and the areas acquired later from the native Indians or foreign powers. Sometimes used interchangeably with Public lands.
Comprises the shared urban area and spaces, the structures that relate to those spaces and the infrastructure that supports and serves them (eg railway corridors, streetscapes, public car parks, parks and reserves, waterways and river systems)
Parks, malls, and city streets.
Available to anyone who wants it (usually refers to software, files, or computers that do not require passwords or fees).
Refers to software that anybody can use or modify without authorisation.
Keywords:  unrestricted, access, areas
Areas to which the public have unrestricted access.
Keywords:  held, large, rights, property
property rights that are held by the public at large
Keywords:  need, credit, material
Material that anyone can use without the need to give credit.