Can characters from the public domain be used freely?

Yes. For something to be in the public domain it by definition means anyone can use it for anything at all, without restriction. Of course, you do have to be careful about whether what you're intending to use is actually public domain or not. read more

Anything in the public domain can be used freely for anything, that's what makes it public. In short, yes, you can use Little Red Riding Hood for a videogame character. read more

Only the copyright owner can dedicate a work to the public domain. Sometimes, the creator of the work is not the copyright owner and does not have authority. If in doubt, contact the copyright owner to verify the dedication. read more