body: Let's assume that I publish a German translation of a book in the public domain (because the author is dead for 70+ years) that hasn't been translated so far. 
  
  
  Do I own the copyright for the translation or is the translation automatically also in the public domain? Moreover, is someone else able to publish another translation? (I assume this is possible if it's substantially different, but I would like to know the exact rules.)
  
  
  
title: Can I own the copyright for a translation of a public domain book?