Can I reference/quote to books in the public domain freely?

Question

Books like the great Gatsby and pride and prejudice.

James L. Arrasmith · Answer

Yes, you can freely reference and quote from books that are in the public domain, like The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Works enter the public domain a certain number of years after the author's death (the exact duration varies by country). 
 
When a creative work like a book is in the public domain, it means the intellectual property rights have expired or been forfeited. The work is therefore owned by the public, not an individual. Once a book is in the public domain, you are free to: 
 
- Quote passages from it in your own works 
- Publish the full text  
- Create derivative works based on it, like adaptations 
- Perform it publicly 
- Use it for commercial purposes 
 
You do not need to ask permission or pay royalties to use public domain works. However, it's still good practice to properly attribute quotes or material to the original author and source. 
 
Many classic older works of literature, like those by Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, Twain, and other famous authors, are in the public domain. But you'll want to double check the public domain status of any 20th century work before using it freely, as copyrights now often last for many decades after the author's death. Websites like Project Gutenberg specialize in distributing works that are confirmed to be in the public domain.

Q: Can I reference/quote to books in the public domain freely?