Verification on Public Domain Book Usage

​

Hello Folks,

These are questions about Project Gutenberg's licensing.

I realize that Project Gutenberg has explained this topic on its website.

However, I want to make sure that my interpretation of their licensing policy is correct.

These questions pertain to public domain books with no copyright on Project Gutenberg.

Here is what I'd like to do to some of the books:

-re-format them

-add graphics (or remove them if they're present)

-add my comments, interpretations, clarifications, etc

-maybe remove some text

Does the statement below (& specifically the phrase "no restrictions whatsoever") also include commercial use of the book (selling it) & altering it?

The Project Gutenberg License [https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html]: "For nearly all uses, in nearly all parts of the world, the opening words of all of our eBooks apply: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at [www.gutenberg.org]."

I gather from the statement below that it's perfectly okay to remove all references to Project Gutenberg in the book.

Am I right?

Books Not Protected Under U.S. Copyright Law

"Such a Project Gutenberg ebook is made out of two parts: the book text not protected by U.S. copyright law and the non public domain Project Gutenberg trademark and license. If you strip the Project Gutenberg license and all references to Project Gutenberg from the text, you are left with a text unprotected by U.S. intellectual property law. You can do anything you want with that text in the United States and most of the rest of the world."

Regarding the statement "anything you want with that text" Project Gutenberg is blatantly telling us that there is no limitation on how the text can be altered.

The statement below only pertains to instances where the Project Gutenberg logo & license are kept in the book, right? If all references to Project Gutenberg are removed from the book, (as PG says is OK to do), then no fees need to be paid to Project Gutenberg.

Using the Project Gutenberg Trademark

"No changes are allowed to the ebook contents. ... If you charge money for the copies you distribute, you have to pay royalties to Project Gutenberg."

Regarding attribution, in the Project Gutenberg Permissions, Licensing and other Common Requests, at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/permission, there is this statement: "No permission is needed to credit Project Gutenberg as the source of something you use. This applies even for commercial use."

Basically paraphrased: We do not need to mention that the book was obtained from Project Gutenberg or provide a link to the site, even if we are selling altered copies of that book.

A Summary of Conclusions

It is perfectly OK with Project Gutenberg to do the following:

-remove all references to it in any non-copyrighted, public domain book

-not mention the organization as the source of the book (attribution)

-change the contents of the book (adding & removing text & graphics, reformatting, etc.)

sell copies (commercial use) of the same altered book

I know that if the book is altered then the Project Gutenberg logo & copyright info must be removed.

Yet, would statements like the ones below (maybe in the front of the book) with a link to the Project Gutenberg website, be permissible?

"The original version of this book can be freely obtained from gutenberg.org."

or

"This is an altered version of [book name] that's freely available at gutenberg.org."

Any constructive suggestions would be appreciated.

thanks