[athms]

>people who have completed the necessary paperwork to put their patches/contributions in the public domain.

In the US, authors cannot put their works in the public domain. This ability doesn't exist in statute, nor have the courts accepted the concept. Past attempts to allow this have failed in Congress. One can refuse to enforce their rights on creative works, but copyright still exists from the moment of creation and works won't enter public domain until the expiration of the copyright.

Furthermore, the US allows authors (except work-for-hire) and their heirs the right of termination for copyright transfers and licenses. This is an inalienable statutory right which cannot be restricted by contracts.