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Copyright

This guide provides information and resources on copyright law and how it relates to academic activities such as research, teaching, and publication.

WHAT IS PUBLIC DOMAIN?

Under the Lebanese law, copyright lasts until 50 years after the death of the author. After the copyright term expires, works pass into the public domain, meaning that anyone is free to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise re-use the work.

Non-copyrighted or out-of-copyright materials are:

 

  • Works that are not original or creative (i.e. phone directory);
  • Ideas that were not fixed in a tangible form;
  • Governmental publications;
  • Folkloric works.

To place an item in the public domain intentionally, a creator of a work would need to state that intent explicitly. If no such statement has been made, assume the work is protected by copyright. 

 

Creative Commons Zero CC0 enable authors and copyright owners who want to dedicate their works to the worldwide public domain to do so, and facilitate the labeling and discovery of works that are already free of known copyright restrictions.