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The Notable Properties Entering the Public Domain This Decade
After "Winnie-the-Pooh" and "Bambi, a Life in the Woods" entered the public domain in 2022, with Mickey Mouse in "Steamboat Willie" following in 2024, License Global takes a deep dive into the properties 'timing out' in the coming years.
5 Min Read
Steamboat WillieMario Tama / Staff, Getty Images News
What is the Copyright Term Extension Act?
In 1998, the U.S. government amended the Copyright Act of 1976 to extend the protection of copyrighted properties for 70 years following an author's death.
The Copyright Term Extension Act not only extended the protection of future and living works, but retrospectively updated the copyright duration of works and properties published before 1978 for 95 years. This means the iconic film and book properties of 1928 enter the U.S. public domain as of Jan. 1, 2024.
However, the copyright extension laws of the European Union protect properties and works 70 years after death (or 'plus life'), which means copyrighted materials of those who died in 1953 are available in the public domain for the U.K. and Europe in 2024.
Intellectual Properties Entering the Public Domain in 2024
(U.S.) "Steamboat Willie" by Walt Disney
(U.S.) "The Gallopin' Gaucho" by Walt Disney
(U.S.) "Plane Crazy" by Walt Disney
(U.S.) "The House at Pooh Corner" by A.A. Milne
(U.S.) "Lady Chatterly's Lover" by D.H. Lawrence
(U.S.) "All Quiet on the Western Front" (German Version) by Erich Maria Remarque
(U.S.) "Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle" by Edgar Rice Burroughs
(EU) The music of Django Reinhardt
(EU) The poetic works of Dylan Thomas
(U.S.) “Peter Pan and Wendy” AKA “The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up” play by J. M. Barrie
(U.S.) “Orlando” by Virginia Woolf
(U.S.) “Dark Princess” by W.E.B. Du Bois
(U.S.) “The Mystery of the Blue Train” by Agatha Christie
(U.S.) “West-Running Brook” by Robert Frost
(U.S.) “The Tower” by W. B. Yeats
(U.S.) “The Missing Chums”, “Hunting for Hidden Gold” and “The Shore Road Mystery” of The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
(Versions/translations published after 1928 may remain copyrighted.)
Intellectual Properties Entering the Public Domain in 2025
(U.S.) "The Cocoanuts" (1929 film)
(U.S.) Sound versions of the Mickey Mouse cartoons “The Karnival Kid” (in which Mickey speaks his first words), and the first Silly Symphony cartoons, including “The Skeleton Dance”
(U.S.) “A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
(U.S.) “The Broadway Melody”, the second recipient of the Academy Award for Best Picture
(U.S.) “Welcome Danger”, Harold Lloyd's first sound film
(U.S.) “On with the Show!”, the first sound film in color
(U.S.) “Blackmail”, Alfred Hitchcock's first sound film
(U.S.) “All Quiet on the Western Front” (English Version) by Erich Maria Remarque (novel)
(U.S.) “The Sound and Fury” by William Faulkner (novel)
(Versions/translations published after 1929 may remain copyrighted.)
Intellectual Properties Entering the Public Domain in 2026
(U.S.) "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930 film)
(U.S.) Disney’s “The Chain Gang” and “The Picnic” with early iterations of Pluto.
(U.S.) The earliest Betty Boop works, including “Dizzy Dishes”
(EU) "A Death in the Family" by James Agee
(EU) The paintings of Yves Tanguy
(U.S.) “The Maltese Falcon” by Dashiell Hammett (novel)
(U.S.) “The Murder at the Vicarage” by Agatha Christie (novel)
(U.S.) “As I Lay Dying” by William Faulkner (novel)
(U.S.) “The Secret of the Old Clock” by Carolyn Keene and the 1930’s text version of Nancy Drew (novel)
(U.S.) “Soup to Nuts” featuring an early iteration of The Three Stooges
(Versions/translations published after 1930 may remain copyrighted.)
Intellectual Properties Entering the Public Domain in 2027
(U.S.) Disney animated short “The Moose Hunt”, featuring the first named appearance of Pluto.
(U.S) Universal Pictures' “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” (1931 films)
(U.S.) “Cimarron” 1931 Best Picture Oscar-winner
(U.S.) “Pardon Us” Laurel and Hardy's first feature film
(U.S.) “Save Me the Waltz” by Zelda Fitzgerald
(U.S.) “The Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck (novel)
(U.S.) “The Waves” by Virginia Woolf (novel)
(U.S.) “Green Grows the Lilacs” by Lynn Riggs (play)
(U.S.) “The Road Back” by Erich Maria Remarque (novel)
(U.S.) “The Story of Babar” by Jean de Brunhoff in its original French (novel)
(Versions/translations published after 1931 may remain copyrighted.)
Intellectual Properties Entering the Public Domain in 2028
(U.S.) The first "Little House on the Prairie" book “Little House in the Big Woods” by Laura Ingalls Wilder (novel)
(U.S.) "Conan the Barbarian" by Robert E. Howard
(U.S.) Some of the earliest Looney Tunes short films, including “Ride Him, Bosko!”
(U.S.) Walt Disney's “Flowers and Trees” (the first cartoon produced in Technicolor), and “Mickey's Revue” with the first appearance of Goofy.
(U.S.) “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley
(U.S.) “Death in the Afternoon” by Ernest Hemingway
(U.S.) “The Pastures of Heaven” by John Steinbeck
(U.S.) Hercule Poirot detective novel “Peril at End” by Agatha Christie
(Versions/translations published after 1932 may remain copyrighted.)
Intellectual Properties Entering the Public Domain in 2029
(U.S.) "King Kong" (1933 film)
(Versions/translations published after 1933 may remain copyrighted.)
Intellectual Properties Already in the Public Domain (2022-23)
(U.S.) "Winnie-The-Pooh" by A.A. Milner (2022)
(U.S.) "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway (2022)
(U.S.) "Bambi, a Life in the Woods" by Felix Salten (2022)
(U.S.) "The Castle" by Franz Kafka (2022)
(U.S.) "The Land of Mist" by Arthur Conan Doyle (2022)
(EU) "The Wendigo," "The Willows," "Incredible Adventures," "The Doll and One Other" by Algernon Blackwood (2022)
(EU) "Mutiny on the Bounty" by James Normal Hall (2022)
(EU) "The Bells of Nagasaki" by Takashi Nagai (2022)
(U.S.) "Metropolis" by Thea von Harbou (2023)
(U.S.) "To the Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf (2023)
(U.S.) "Steppenwolf" by Hermann Hesse (2023)
(U.S.) "Trolley Troubles," starring Walt Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (2023)
(U.S.) "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" by Phillip Francis Nowlan (2023)
(U.S.) "Popeye" by E.C. Segar (2023)
(U.S.) "The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle (2023)
(U.S.) "The Gangs of New York" by Herbert Asbury (2023)
(EU) "Goodnight Moon," "The Runaway Bunny" and "The Colour Kittens" by Margaret Wise Brown (2023)
How Does Notable Properties Entering the Public Domain Impact Licensing?
With the likes of Batman (2034) and The Joker (2035), Superman (2033) and globally renowned origin stories heading to the public domain in the future, the conversation will naturally turn to copyright protection for brands still engaging millions of fans.
However, the arrival of copyrighted works to the public domain does not mean modern iterations of classic characters or properties are free to use. Nor does it impact trademark law. The public domain strictly surrounds the original iterations of each title and the published works of the time.
Ensuring the authenticity and values of various IPs such as "Steamboat Willie" or "Winnie-the-Pooh" may be a new challenge for brands; however, the protection offered by trademark law and long brand histories will undoubtedly favor the licensor.
An influx of well-known, public domain properties offers independent creators more freedom to adapt a wide range of classic content while helping brands support new talent and storytellers in adapting historic IPs.
*This article was first published in January 2022 and is updated regularly.
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The Walt Disney CompanyMickey MouseWinnie the PoohFlash GordonPopeyeDecember 2024GlobalLicense Global OriginalAbout the Authors
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