Not very new...
Public domain media policy
Policy overview
Before you sell any media, such as music, movies, or photos, you're responsible for finding out if the media you're planning to sell contains content that's protected by copyright. If it is, be sure to follow the guidelines in our copyright basics policy.
Any media that are no longer protected by copyright are sometimes described as having entered the public domain. To find out more about public domain media, see the U.S. Copyright Office website.
You can describe the content offered in your eBay listing as having entered the public domain as long as you meet both of these requirements:
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You've checked to make sure the content is in fact in the public domain, and
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Your listing includes both of the following details:
- The date (day, month, and year) the media was first created or released
- The date (day, month, and year) it became part of the public domain
However, we don't allow sellers to describe content as having entered into the public domain if the content was created or released in 1972 or later.
Make sure your listing follows these guidelines. If it doesn't, it may be removed, and you may be subject to a range of other actions, including limits of your buying and selling privileges and suspension of your account.
If you see listings that offer unauthorized copies of media, please report it to us.
Basically it means copyright and trademark laws are only in affect for a certain amount of time. Just think of it like you can't patent a pair of scissors any more.
