Can OSI specify that public domain is open source?

[Thorsten Glaser]

Chad Perrin <perrin <at> apotheon.com> writes:

> If
> something's public domain, and your country does not recognize it as
> such, I think your best bet is probably to get in touch with the
> copyright holder and ask for relicensing so you can use the work. 

That were my thoughs throughout most of the thread, yes. But if
this is indeed my best bet, I move that OSI does *not* acknowledge
Public Domain as Open Source™.

> If
> that doesn't work for some reason, see if you can get copyright declared
> abandoned somehow within your country so you can then do whatever you
> like with it.

That would only help if I were to use it in my chambers at home,
not make it part of an Open Source project for global distribution,
modification, etc. so it’s a non-option in all realistic cases (as
the “my quiet chamber at home” case would be something nobody cared
about already anyway so I could ignore the issue).