Book People Archive

Spoken editions of public domain texts

Is there any copywrite infringement if I personally record texts that have gone into public domain?  What I mean is if I read Alice in Wonderland (as a 
possible public domain text) aloud while my microphone is on, then copy this 
recording onto CD - is that ok?

Thanks,

Kathleen Weber
kate.weber@[redacted]

[Moderator:   It is not a copyright infringement either to reproduce a
  public domain work, or to create a new work based on a public domain
  work (such as a recording of someone reading it).  If you make a
  recording of yourself reading a public domain text, you're entitled
  to claim your own copyright on the resulting sound recording.
  (That copyright doesn't apply to the text itself, but only to the
  recording of you reading the text.)
  In other words, feel free to make your CD.  - JMO]