Thousands of books can be read, downloaded and shared legally, for free: these are works in the public domain. Machado de Assis, Lima Barreto, Aluísio Azevedo, Júlio Verne, Jane Austen, Dostoevsky and many other classics are on this list.
When a work enters the public domain
In Brazil, the Copyright Law (Law 9.610/1998) protects a work during the author's lifetime and for another 70 years, counted from January 1 of the year after the author's death. After that, anyone can use it. Note: a translation or an annotated edition may have its own rights, even if the original text is free.
Where to find them
- Domínio Público (dominiopublico.gov.br): the federal government's digital library, with Brazilian literature and classic texts.
- Guita and José Mindlin Brasiliana Library (bbm.usp.br): USP's collection of digitized rare works about Brazil.
- Project Gutenberg (gutenberg.org): over 70,000 books, mostly in English, with a section in Portuguese, already in EPUB.
- Wikisource (pt.wikisource.org): texts in Portuguese transcribed and proofread by volunteers.
How to use them in Libtro
- Download the book, preferably in EPUB.
- Upload it to My files.
- Read it on the Kindle (see how to send it), listen to it as an audiobook, or translate a foreign classic.
Couldn't find a book? Users who already have some prestige on Libtro can ask Book requests, and the team looks for legal versions.