Access Copyright and Creative Commons Canada will build a free, globally searchable online database of published works that have entered the public domain and which are therefor no longer bound by copyright law.

The non-profit project will start with comprehensive registry of works and will expand to include the published works of creators from other countries,

There's currently no one place where information about the public domain is collected, say the two organizations in a statement, going on:

"The project will develop in two stages - first, a comprehensive registry of works by Canadian creators that are in the public domain will be established.

"Eventually, the reach of the registry will expand to include the published works of creators from other countries. The public domain registry will be a non-profit project and freely accessible to the public online."

The backbone will be Access Copyright's Rights Management System, the largest database of copyright information in Canada.

The Wikimedia Foundation will supply software that will allow the public to contribute information to the registry. Individuals will be able to use the registry to determine whether a published work is in the public domain and, "The registry will also link to digital versions of the work, and provide information about where a paper copy of the work can be purchased," say Access Copyright and Creative Commons Canada.