Visual Artist. Public Domain. Public Domain: Duration. Copyright Bites. Copyright in SMEs. Lawful Reuse. Creative Process. Going for a Song. Getting Permission. For such pre copyrights still subsisting on October 27, , Congress extended the term by 20 years, providing for a total term of protection of 95 years. Send Print Report. Brooks Pierce. Published In: Authors. Intellectual Property Protection. Licensing Fees. Music Industry. But the public domain does not just bring financial freedom, it also provides cultural leeway.
Someone could reimagine the story with a more inclusive cast, or set in a different era. They could reinterpret it, tell it from the perspective of Myrtle or Jordan, or make prequels and sequels. As explained in a New York Times editorial:. When a work enters the public domain it means the public can afford to use it freely, to give it new currency The public domain also enables access to cultural materials that might otherwise be lost to history.
The vast majority of works from are out of circulation. When they enter the public domain in , anyone can make them available online, where we can discover, enjoy, and breathe new life into them. Empirical studies have shown that public domain books are less expensive, available in more editions and formats, and more likely to be in print—see here , here , and here. The works listed above are just the tip of the iceberg.
Many more forgotten works are waiting to be rediscovered. Unfortunately, the fact that works from are legally available does not mean they are actually available. After 95 years, many of these works are already lost or literally disintegrating as with old films 7 and recordings , evidence of what long copyright terms do to the conservation of cultural artifacts. For example, sequences that were shot in two-tone Technicolor from two of the films above, The Merry Widow and Pretty Ladies , are apparently lost.
For the material that has survived, however, the long-awaited entry into the public domain is still something to celebrate. Many of the works featured above are famous; that is why we included them. Their copyright holders benefitted from 20 more years of copyright because the works had enduring popularity, and were still earning royalties.
But when Congress extended the copyright term for works like The Great Gatsby , it also did so for all of the works whose commercial viability had long ended. Yet they remained off limits, for no good reason. After 75 years, that percentage is even lower. The unauthorized translation was 10 cents, and sold a half million copies in 10 days. It was He was sued for copyright infringement, and lost in court. Current copyright law no longer has these requirements.
On January 1, , the public will know that works published in are free for use without tedious or inconclusive research. In an abundance of caution, our lists above primarily include works where we were able to track down the renewal data suggesting that they are still in-copyright through the end of , and affirmatively entering the public domain in However, there were many exciting works from for which we could not locate renewals. They will also be in the public domain in , but may have entered the public domain decades ago due to lack of renewal.
Some authors choose to dedicate their works to the public domain before the end of the copyright term. In , musician and mathematician Tom Lehrer, who became famous for his satirical songs in the s and s, put all of his lyrics and original compositions into the public domain.
You can find them here. Works from are finally entering the public domain, after a year copyright term. Movies created but not published or formally registered for copyright before January 1, will be granted a copyright lasting for the same term as those copyrighted after January 1, , or for the life of the creator plus seventy years after his death, but in no situation will the term of copyright expire any earlier than December 31, An anonymous work, a pseudonymous work or a work made for hire is granted a copyright that lasts for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of years from the year of its creation, and expires on whichever date occurs first.
Christine Varad is a writer and editor specializing in legal topics. She earned a J.
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