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.

Ben Roberts, Content Director (EMEA)

January 4, 2024

3 Min Read
Public Domain 2024.png

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.) "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

Intellectual Properties Entering the Public Domain This Decade

Related:2024 Brand Anniversaries: A Comprehensive List

2025

  • (U.S.) "The Cocoanuts" (1930 film)

  • (U.S.) “A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

2026

  • (U.S.) "Frankenstein" (1931 film)

  • (U.S.) "The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett

  • (U.S.) "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1931 film)

  • (EU) "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie

  • (EU) "A Death in the Family" by James Agee

  • (EU) The paintings of Yves Tanguy

2027

  • (U.S.) "Conan the Barbarian" by Robert E. Howard

2028

  • (EU) "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

  • (U.S.) "King Kong" (1933 film)

2029

  • (U.S.) "Flash Gordon" (1934 comic) by Alex Raymond

  • (U.S.) Donald Duck in “The Wise Little Hen" (1934 animation) by Walt Disney

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), Winnie-the-Pooh (2022) 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.

About the Author(s)

Ben Roberts

Content Director (EMEA), License Global

Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry Article
Join 62,000+ members. Yes, it's completely free.

You May Also Like