List of famous intellectual property entering the public domain in 2025
Works from 1929 and sound recordings from 1924 are now open to the public in the US, meaning all books, films, songs and art published in the Roaring 20s are free of copyright protection, entering the public domain by 2025. It’s shaping up to be an important year for
Here are some notable works that are free for new use.
- “A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway
- “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner
- “The Seven Dials Mystery,” by Agatha Christie
- First English version of “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque, translated by Arthur Wesley Wein
- “Rope,” by Patrick Hamilton
- “The Carnival Kid,” Mickey Mouse’s first talk show and the debut of his signature white gloves, along with 11 other Mickey shorts
- “The Coconuts,” the first feature film of the Marx Brothers, directed by Robert Florey and Joseph Saintly.
- “The Skeleton Dance,” Disney’s first “Silly Symphony” short, directed by Walt Disney and animated by Ub Iwerks
- “Blackmail,” directed by Alfred Hitchcock, his first sound film
- “Hallelujah,” directed by King Vidor, is considered one of the first major studio films to feature an all-black cast.
- The character of Popeye by E.C. Seeger when he appeared in the “Thumble Theater” comic strip “Gobs of Work”
- The character of Tintin by Hergé as he appeared in the comic strip “Les Adventures de Tintin” from Le Petit Wingteam magazine.
- “Singing in the Rain”, music by Nasio Herb Brown, lyrics by Arthur Freed
- “An American in Paris,” compiled by George Gershwin.
- “Tapto Through the Tulips,” music by Joseph Burke, lyrics by Alfred Dubin
What exactly does “public domain” mean?
When a work is in the public domain, it has no copyright protection, meaning anyone can freely use it. And can make.
“No fees, no licenses, no tracking, no permissions,” says Duke University director Jennifer Jenkins. Center for Public Domain Studies, told CBS News’ Lee Cowan in 2024.
How does the public domain work?
Copyright protects the original work for a limited time. When this protection ends, the work enters the public domain. The Founders wrote this concept into the US Constitution Intellectual Property Clausewhose purpose is to “promote the advancement of science and the useful arts.”
However, the rules governing the public domain can be difficult. For example: Although Mickey Mouse returned to the public in 2024, this classification only applied to his first appearance in 1928’s “Steamboat Willie.” It wasn’t until 1929 that Mickey began wearing white gloves, meaning any public interpretation showing this feature could be liable for copyright infringement until that year.
When does intellectual property enter the public domain?
In America, Length of copyright protection For a particular property depends on various elements. Generally, for works published or registered before 1978, the term lasts 95 years. For works created after that date, protection usually lasts for 70 years plus the life of the author.
“The public domain does not represent the death of copyright,” Jenkins said. “It’s just another part of the copyright life cycle.”
What is entering the public domain in 2026?
2026 will be another interesting year for the public domain as works from the 1930s lose their copyright. Protection will expire for early versions of Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse’s dog Pluto and her friend Clarabelle Cow, teenage detective Nancy Drew, MC Escher’s “The Bridge,” Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and more.
Contributed to this report.