Regrettably, thanks to the international nature of the internet, it may still be legally hazardous to make works in the public domain in one's own country available on the internet.

The legal question of whether putting something on an internet server constitutes publication in all countries simultaneously or just in the country where the server exists is still unsettled. So for example a UK citizen may wish to put Tolkien's works on the internet now that they are in the public domain there, but Tolkien's estate might decide to sue from the United States, or from many countries in Europe. Individuals and small entities are likely unwilling to bear the legal risk.

So the effective public domain date, from the viewpoint of the internet, is set by the countries with the longest protection terms, which appear to be Spain (80 years) and the US (95 years for works made for hire).