Hi, and welcome to the Qt Dev Net!
[quote author="LaRainette" date="1398106709"]nothing that has been released publicly can be patented[/quote]Correct. But patents and copyrights are "not the same thing":http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/definitions.jsp. In this case, we're talking about a book which has been published -- it receives a copyright, not a patent.
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[quote author="LaRainette" date="1398106709"]without a proper copyright notice, publishing something publicly is equivalent to entering the public domain AFAIK.[/quote]No, copyright is "automatic":http://www.ipo.gov.uk/c-auto.htm.
[quote author="LaRainette" date="1398106709"]The author probably still owns some sort of copyright but... publishing something publicly is equivalent to entering the public domain AFAIK.[/quote]Note that "public domain" means "no copyright".