Author: Mr. Breeze

I do be a kitteh. I haz a blog.

Using Public Domain Content

~ Mr. Breeze ~ Leave a comment
DJ Alfie at work desk
DJ Alfie at Work Desk by ChatGPT and kittehboi.

Understanding What’s Free and Legal

There’s a lot of free content on the internet. Some of it is in the public domain, which means you can use it legally. But you must be careful to understand the rules before you use anything.

Always Check Copyright

Before using any content, make sure it’s really free to use. If something is still protected by copyright, the website owner may get a DCMA Takedown Request telling them to remove the item.

Always confirm:

  • Is the work really public domain?
  • Has the copyright expired?
  • Is there clear proof it is free to use?

If you aren’t sure, don’t use it.

What Is Public Domain?

Public domain works may include:

  • Old books
  • Historical photos
  • Government publications

Public domain content belongs to everyone. You can:

  • Copy it
  • Share it
  • Change it
  • Sell it

You don’t need permission.

Here are some places to look to look for Public Domain content:

Even though you don’t have to give credit for public domain works, it’s still polite to do so.

Find more Public Domain Sources.

What Is Copyleft?

Copyleft content is different from public domain. The creator still owns the work but allows others to use it with some conditions. Many copyleft works use Creative Commons licenses.

Creative Commons licenses often include rules like:

Always read the license carefully.

How to Give Credit (Attribution)

If attribution is required, include:

  • The creator’s name
  • The title of the work
  • Where you found it (link if online)
  • The license name

Example:

File:Longcat (6435769739).jpg, Dwight Sipler from Stow, MA, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

This protects you and shows respect for the creator.

Watch Out for Duplicate Content

Search engines can detect copied content. If you use public domain material exactly as it is, your website may not rank well.

Make your work more original and more valuable:

  • Rewrite it in your own words
  • Add your own ideas
  • Combine ideas from several sources
  • Check spelling and grammar
  • Make the tone match your style

What Can You Create with PD Content?

With public domain and properly licensed copyleft content, you can create:

  • Ebooks
  • Print books
  • Blog posts
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Email newsletters

… and more!

In Summary

Public Domain = Free to use.
Copyleft = Free to use, but follow the rules.

Video: The Tigers of Scotland

~ Mr. Breeze ~ Leave a comment

Narrated by Iain Glen, this independent natural history documentary investigates the Scottish Wildcat, their endangered status and the conservation efforts being undertaken to prevent their extinction.

Scottish Wildcats are affectionately known as Highland Tigers. The name originates from their striped fur and that they’re not only one of Britain’s largest predators, but the UK’s only “big cat”.

Originally released on Netflix in 2018, this is the first time the full length, unedited version has been published, and in 4K.

Shooting Craps: The Wombat

~ Mr. Breeze ~ Leave a comment
Wombat Shooting Craps
Wombat Shooting Craps
by @kittehboi and Nightcafe.

Wombats are cute little Australian animals. Their long teeth make them look like rodents, but in reality they’re marsupials, relatives of koalas and kangaroos.

Marsupials differ from mammals like dogs and cats in a number of ways, but the most important way is that wombat fetuses have a simple placenta that doesn’t provide enough nutrition for a large fetus. The joeys have to get out so early that they can’t live outside the mother’s body. After the joeys are born they have to make the arduous climb into their mama’s special pouch, where they will keep warm and drink milk until they’re big enough to live outside.

Wombat pouches are unique among marsupials. While kangaroo pouches open at the top, wombat pouches open at the bottom. Wombats like to dig. If they had a normal pouch, it would scoop up dirt.

According the the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, bare-nosed wombats are about the size of a medium size dog.

Bare-nosed wombats average 1 m [39 inches] in length and 27 kg [50 pounds] in weight yet can reach up to 1.2 m [47 inches] in length and up to 35 kg [77 pounds] in weight. The Tasmanian wombat is not as large or bulky, averaging 85 cm [33 inches] in length and 20 kg [48 pounds] in weight, while the Flinders Island wombat is smaller still averaging only 75 cm [30 inches] in length.

Now about the dice.

Wombats have particularly long, flexible intestines. It takes up to 12 days for poop to traverse the wombat’s digestive tract, and it is wrung dry during the trip. The result is that wombat poop is unique: it’s cubic like dice. No other animal in the world poops dice!