January 1st heralds a new year, a new month, and new entries in the list of works in the public domain. While many popular intellectual properties lost copyright protection in 2024 – notably first iteration of mickey mouse – 2025 is not without its fair share of notable additions. Starting January 1, 2025, many iconic books and characters are now available for public use for free Ernest Hemingway's “A Farewell to Arms” for the original Popeye.,
List of popular intellectual properties to enter the public domain in 2025
The 1929 compositions and the 1924 sound recording are now open to everyone in the US. This means that all books, movies, songs, and art published during the Roaring 20s are without copyright protection, making 2025 an important year for the public domain.
Here are some of the most notable functions that are free to use.
- “A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway.
- “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner.
- “Seven Dials Mystery” by Agatha Christie.
- First English edition of “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque, translated by Arthur Wesley Whan
- “Rope” by Patrick Hamilton.
- “The Carnival Kid,” the first speaking appearance of Mickey Mouse and the debut of his signature white gloves along with 11 other Mickey shorts
- “The Coconuts,” the Marx Brothers' first feature film, directed by Robert Florey and Joseph Santley
- “The Skeleton Dance,” Disney's first “Silly Symphony” short, directed by Walt Disney and animated by Ub Iwerks
- “Blackmail”, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was 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, as he appeared in the “Thimble Theatre” comic strip “Gobs of Work” by E.C. Segar
- The character of Tintin by Hergé as he appeared in the Le Petit Vingtième magazine comic strip “Les Aventures de Tintin”.
- “Singin' in the Rain,” music by Nacio Herb Brown, lyrics by Arthur Freed
- “An American in Paris,” by George Gershwin
- “Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” music by Joseph Burke, lyrics by Alfred Dubin
What does “public domain” actually mean?
When a work is in the public domain, there is no copyright protection on it, which means anyone can use it at leisure and build on it.
“No fees, no license, no trace of the owner, no permission,” said Duke University director Jennifer Jenkins. Center for Public Domain Studies, In 2024, CBS News' Lee Cowan told,
How does the public domain work?
Copyright protects an original work for a limited period of time. When this protection ends, the work falls into the public domain. The Founding Fathers wrote this concept into the US Constitution intellectual property sectionIts purpose is to “promote the progress of science and useful arts”.
However, the laws governing the public sector can be tricky. For example: Although Mickey Mouse returned to the public in 2024, this classification only applied to his first appearance in 1928's “Steamboat Willie”. Mickey did not begin wearing white gloves until 1929, meaning that any public reinterpretations displaying this feature until this year could be liable for copyright infringement.
When does intellectual property come into the public domain?
in America, Duration of copyright protection A certain property depends on various elements. Generally, for works published or registered before 1978, the period lasts 95 years. For works created after this date, protection generally lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years.
Jenkins said, “The public domain does not represent the death of copyright.” “This is the second part of the copyright life cycle.”
What is entering the public domain in 2026?
2026 will be another exciting year for the public domain with works dating back to the 1930s losing copyright. Protection will be gone for early editions of Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse's dog Pluto and his friend Clarabelle Cow, teenage detective Nancy Drew, MC Escher's “The Bridge,” Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and others.
Contributed to this report.
