[wtallis]

It is a legal minefield either way; current FOSS practices are to put signs around the minefield instead of pretending that it doesn't exist.

For example, some jurisdictions don't have a way for authors to dedicate a work to the public domain and surrender all rights. Complications like that are why having explicit lawyer-vetted licenses are preferable, even if not all provisions of the license have been tested in court.

[starsinspace]

Yeah, you're right. I also wouldn't recommend to try just say "public domain" today for that reason.