GJT PDL

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Public Domain

Public domain source code is less common, currently, than source code licensed under the various free software licenses out there. However, it is definitely the easiest thing for others to deal with from an ownership point of view. There is no ownership, so people can feel free to do anything they want with the source code in question.

There is a great deal of misunderstanding about what it means to place something into the public domain, and how to do it.

First, once a work is placed into the public domain, the public owns the work. You relinquish any and all rights to the source code, including your copyright. So, please be certain this is what you wish to do, because once you take this step, it is permanent.

If you are not sure how to place your source code into the public domain, it is fairly simple. You can either include a file stating that you have placed the work into the PD, or include such a statement at the top of each file, or simply not stamp your code at all. However, we recommend that you include some statement of your placing the work into the public domain so that others might be able to verify this fact, if they feel they must do so for legal or other purposes. It also lets people know who the original author of the code is.

We include an example statement of a public domain release that you may feel free to use.