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Yes, Project Gutenberg is absolutely legal. It operates primarily by offering eBooks that are in the public domain in the United States. This means the copyright on these works has expired, and they are free for anyone to use, copy, and distribute. While Project Gutenberg also distributes a limited number of copyrighted works with the explicit permission of the copyright holders, the vast majority of its collection falls under public domain status.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Project Gutenberg’s Legality
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