2024 in public domain Last updated January 20, 2026 copyright expires, it enters the public domain . The following is a list of creators whose works entered the public domain in 2024. Since laws vary globally , the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
With the exception of Belarus (Life + 50 years) and Spain (which has a copyright term of Life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987), a work enters the public domain in Europe 70 years after the creator's death, if it was published during the creator's lifetime. For previously unpublished material, those who publish it first will have the publication rights for 25 years.
Names Country Death Occupation Notable work Hans Aanrud Norway 11 January 1953 Writer Tamar Abakelia Georgia 14 May 1953 Sculptor Abdullah Yusuf Ali India 10 December 1953 Translator The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary Dimitri Arakishvili Georgia 13 August 1953 Composer The Legend of Shota Rustaveli Agustín Abarca Chile 28 May 1953 Painter Walter Armitage South Africa 22 February 1953 Playwright Vladimir Bakaleinikov Russia 5 November 1953 Composer, conductor Rudolf Bauer Germany 28 November 1953 Painter Arnold Bax United Kingdom 3 October 1953 Composer, writer List of compositions by Arnold Bax Harmsen van der Beek The Netherlands 24 July 1953 Illustrator, commercial artist Noddy Hilaire Belloc United Kingdom 16 July 1953 Writer Hilaire Belloc bibliography Róbert Berény Hungary 10 September 1953 Painter Sleeping Lady with Black Vase Henri Bernstein France 27 November 1953 Playwright Samson Mélo Elsa Beskow Sweden 30 June 1953 Writer, illustrator Ugo Betti Italy 9 June 1953 Playwright, judge The Fugitive Henrik Bull Norway 2 June 1953 Architect National Theatre Ivan Bunin Russia 9 June 1953 Writer List of short stories by Ivan Bunin , List of poems by Ivan Bunin John Horne Burns United States 11 August 1953 Writer The Gallery Rosario Candela United States 3 October 1953 Architect 740 Park Avenue Harold Cazneaux Australia 19 June 1953 Photographer Cazneaux Tree Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla Pakistan 5 February 1953 Composer "Qaumi Taranah " Albert Coates United Kingdom 11 December 1953 Composer, conductor Ruth Crawford Seeger United States 18 November 1953 Composer String Quartet 1931 Peter DeRose United States 23 April 1953 Composer "Deep Purple " Raoul Dufy France 23 March 1953 Painter Edmund Dulac France 25 May 1953 Illustrator Jean Epstein France 2 April 1953 Film director The Fall of the House of Usher Georges Le Faure France 25 May 1953 Writer Emil Filla Czech Republic 7 October 1953 Painter Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński Poland 6 December 1953 Poet Skumbrie w tomacie Albert Gleizes France 23 June 1953 Painter, writer List of works by Albert Gleizes Milt Gross United States 29 November 1953 Cartoonist Guccio Gucci Italy 2 January 1953 Fashion designer Sophia Hayden United States 3 February 1953 Architect The Woman's Building Mary Brewster Hazelton United States 13 September 1953 Painter Jindřich Heisler [ fr ] Czech Republic 4 January 1953 Photographer, writer and surrealist artist Cecil Hepworth United Kingdom 9 February 1953 Film director, producer Alice in Wonderland Tatsuo Hori Japan 28 May 1953 Writer The Wind Has Risen Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa Sri Lanka 18 June 1953 Writer Art as a factor in the soul's evolution Joseph Jongen Belgium 12 July 1953 Composer Mass, Op. 130 Emmerich Kálmán Hungary 30 October 1953 Composer Die Csárdásfürstin , Countess Maritza , Die Zirkusprinzessin Thiru. V. Kalyanasundaram India 17 September 1953 Writer Fritz Kirchhoff Germany 25 June 1953 Film director Attack on Baku Moïse Kisling France 29 April 1953 Painter Eduard Künneke Germany 27 October 1953 Composer The Cousin from Nowhere Elisabeth Kuyper The Netherlands 26 February 1953 Composer Jorge de Lima Brazil 15 November 1953 Politician, writer Will Longstaff Australia 1 July 1953 Painter Menin Gate at Midnight Oskar Luts Estonia 23 March 1953 Writer, playwright Kornel Makuszyński Poland 31 July 1953 Writer Koziołek Matołek Herman J. Mankiewicz United States 5 March 1953 Screenwriter Citizen Kane Emmanuel de Margerie France 20 December 1953 Geographer John Marin United States 2 October 1953 Painter Daniel Gregory Mason United States 4 December 1953 Composer, music critic Erich Mendelsohn Germany 15 September 1953 Architect List of works by Erich Mendelsohn Moses Milner Russia 25 October 1953 Composer Mime Misu Romania 25 October 1953 Dancer, film director In Nacht und Eis , Das Mirakel Vera Mukhina Soviet Union 6 October 1953 Sculptor, painter Worker and Kolkhoz Woman Sulaiman Nadvi Pakistan 22 November 1953 Writer Khutbat-e-madras Ibrahim Nagi Egypt 6 October 1953 Poet "Al-Atlal " Francesco Saverio Nitti Italy 20 February 1953 Politician Hisato Ohzawa Japan 28 October 1953 Composer Piano Concerto No. 3 Eugene O'Neill United States 27 November 1953 Playwright Long Day's Journey into Night Francis Picabia France 30 November 1953 Painter List of works by Francis Picabia Joseph Pinchon France 20 June 1953 Illustrator Bécassine Uroš Predić Serbia 12 February 1953 Painter Happy Brothers Alice Prin France 30 November 1953 Model, painter, writer Kiki's Memoirs Sergei Prokofiev Russia 5 March 1953 Composer, conductor List of compositions by Sergei Prokofiev Vsevolod Pudovkin Russia 30 June 1953 Film director, screenwriter Roger Quilter United Kingdom 21 September 1953 Composer Arnold Book of Old Songs Rachilde France 4 April 1953 Writer Monsieur Vénus Graciliano Ramos Brazil 20 March 1953 Writer, translator Vidas secas Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings United States 14 December 1953 Author The Yearling Django Reinhardt France 16 May 1953 Composer, musician Winold Reiss United States 23 August 1953 Painter Winold Reiss industrial murals Pasquale Rizzoli Italy 30 January 1953 Sculptor Ludomir Różycki Poland 1 January 1953 Composer Max Sainsaulieu France 21 February 1953 Architect Carnegie Library of Reims Rudolph Schindler United States 22 August 1953 Architect Schindler House Edward Shanks United Kingdom 4 May 1953 Writer Fête Galante Everett Shinn United States 1 May 1953 Painter Joseph Stalin Russia 5 March 1953 Politician Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR Vladimir Tatlin Russia 31 May 1953 Painter, architect Tatlin's Tower Neyzen Tevfik Turkey 28 January 1953 Poet, satirist Jérôme Tharaud France 28 January 1953 Writer Dylan Thomas United Kingdom 9 November 1953 Poet List of works by Dylan Thomas Totius South Africa 1 July 1953 Poet Julian Tuwim Poland 27 December 1953 Poet "Murzynek Bambo " Jules Van Nuffel Belgium 25 June 1953 Composer In convertendo Dominus Bernard Carra de Vaux France 1953 Orientalist Vydūnas Lithuania 20 February 1953 Poet Erich Weinert Germany 20 April 1953 Writer "Der heimliche Aufmarsch " Ben Ames Williams United States 4 February 1953 Writer The Unconquered Hank Williams United States 1 January 1953 Musician List of songs written by Hank Williams Arthur Wimperis United Kingdom 14 October 1953 Lyricist, screenwriter The Arcadians Mrs. Miniver Friedrich Wolf Germany 5 October 1953 Writer Professor Mamlock Xu Beihong China 26 September 1953 Painter Vsevolod Zaderatsky Russia 1 February 1953 Composer John Stepan Zamecnik United States 13 June 1953 Composer
In Bangladesh , India and Venezuela , a work enters the public domain 60 years after the creator's death.
In most countries of Africa and Asia, as well as Belarus , Bolivia and New Zealand , a work enters the public domain 50 years after the creator's death.
Names Country Death Occupation Notable work Aziz Abaza Egypt 11 July 1973 Poet, politician Zainal Abidin Ahmad Malaysia 23 October 1973 Writer, linguist W. H. Auden United Kingdom 29 September 1973 Poet Malek Bennabi Algeria 31 October 1973 Philosopher Les Conditions de la Renaissance Charles Brasch New Zealand 20 May 1973 Poet, editor Landfall Elizabeth Bowen Ireland United Kingdom 22 February 1973 Biologist Pearl S. Buck United States 6 March 1973 Novelist The Good Earth Amílcar Cabral Cape Verde Guinea-Bissau 20 January 1973 Activist Esta É a Nossa Pátria Bem Amada Noël Coward United Kingdom 26 March 1973 Playwright Noël Coward on stage and screen John Creasey United Kingdom 9 June 1973 Writer Gideon's Day Jim Croce United States 20 September 1973 Musician Bobby Darin United States 20 December 1973 Musician Henry Darger United States 13 April 1973 Novelist, artist In the Realms of the Unreal Arthur Freed United States 12 April 1973 Lyricist, film producer Singin' in the Rain John Ford United States 4 August 1973 Director John Ford filmography Ragnar Frisch Norway 31 January 1973 Economist Anthony Gilbert Great Britain 9 December 1973 Writer The Vanishing Corpse Martti Haavio Finland 4 February 1973 Poet, Folklorist, Mythologist Karjalan jumalat , Bjarmien vallan kukoistus ja tuho Elisabeth Hauptmann Germany 20 April 1973 Playwright The Threepenny Opera (with Bertolt Brecht ) Taha Hussein Egypt 11 July 1973 Poet, politician The Days José Alfredo Jiménez Mexico 23 November 1973 Songwriter "El Rey " Lyndon B. Johnson United States 22 January 1973 Politician Raymonde de Kervern Mauritius 1973 Poet Bruce Lee United States 20 July 1973 Martial artist Tao of Jeet Kune Do Kathleen Lindsay Great Britain 1973 Writer Gian Francesco Malipiero Italy 1 August 1973 Composer, musicologist L'Orfeide Cornelia Meigs United States 1973 Childrens writer The Windy Hill Adolfo Mejía Navarro Colombia 6 July 1973 Composer "Pequeña Suite para Orquesta" Nancy Mitford Great Britain 30 June 1973 Writer The Pursuit of Love Timo K. Mukka Finland 27 March 1973 Writer Maa on syntinen laulu Pablo Neruda Chile 23 September 1973 Poet Canto General , Oda al Gato Robert C. O'Brien United States 5 March 1973 Writer Z for Zachariah Kid Ory United States 23 January 1973 Composer Red Allen, Kid Ory & Jack Teagarden at Newport Gram Parsons United States 19 September 1973 Musician Isabel Peacocke New Zealand 12 October 1973 Writer Cathleen with a 'C' Pablo Picasso Spain 8 April 1973 Painter Guernica , Les Demoiselles d'Avignon Pixinguinha Brazil 17 February 1973 Composer William Plomer South Africa 20 September 1973 Writer Andy Razaf United States 3 February 1973 Lyricist Ain't Misbehavin' Gopal Prasad Rimal Nepal 24 October 1973 Poet Jangi Nishan Hamro Ivan T. Sanderson United States 19 February 1973 Biologist Nigoghos Sarafian France 1972 Poet Mohammed ash-Shanqîtî [ fr ] Mauritania KSA 10 January 1973 Muslim scolar Works Allan Sherman United States 20 November 1973 Comedian "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp) " Ousmane Diop Socé Senegal 27 October 1973 Poet Contes et légendes d'Afrique noire Abdillahi Suldaan Mohammed Timacade Somalia 6 February 1973 Poet Bhim Nidhi Tiwari Nepal 1973 Poet Dagbatti J. R. R. Tolkien United Kingdom 2 September 1973 Writer J. R. R. Tolkien bibliography Valentin Tomberg Russian Empire 24 February 1973 Mystic Meditations on the Tarot Âşık Veysel Turkey 21 March 1973 Composer Alan Watts United Kingdom 16 November 1973 Philosopher Alan Watts bibliography Chic Young United States 14 March 1973 Cartoonist Blondie
Spain has a copyright term of life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987. In Colombia and Equatorial Guinea a work enters the public domain 80 years after the creator's death.
Australia and Canada In 2004 copyright in Australia changed from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, in line with the United States and the European Union. But the change was not made retroactive (unlike the 1995 change in the European Union which brought some e.g. British authors back into copyright, especially those who died from 1925 to 1944). Hence the work of an author who died before 1955 is normally in the public domain in Australia; but the copyright of authors was extended to 70 years after death for those who died in 1955 or later, and no more Australian authors would come out of copyright until 1 January 2026 (those who died in 1955). [ 1]
Similarly, Canada amended its Copyright Act in 2022 from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, coming into force on December 30, 2022, but not reviving expired copyright. [ 2] [ 3] No more new authors will come out of copyright in Canada until 1 January 2043 (those who died in 1972). Crown copyright was not changed, thus works published in 1973 entered the public domain in 2024. [ 4]
United States One of the most notable works which entered the public domain in 2024 is Walt Disney 's animated short film Steamboat Willie , featuring the earliest incarnation of Mickey Mouse . Under the Copyright Term Extension Act , books published in 1928 , films released in 1928 , and other works published in 1928, entered the public domain in 2024. [ 5] [ 6] Sound recordings that were published in 1923 [ 5] and unpublished works whose authors died in 1953 also entered the public domain.
Public Domain Day 2024 attracted unparalleled media interest, primarily for marking the long-awaited arrival of Steamboat Willie , featuring the earliest incarnations of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse , into the public domain. [ 7] The short film's owner, The Walt Disney Company , had previously lobbied for the extension of copyright length in the United States in order to prevent the film and the character of Mickey from entering the public domain; the result of that lobby effort was the passage of the Copyright Term Extension Act in 1998. [ 8] Additional works that were part of this year's wave of entrants to the American public domain included notable literature such as Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence , Bertolt Brecht 's play The Threepenny Opera in its original German, Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf , Dark Princess by W. E. B. Du Bois , Home to Harlem by Claude McKay , The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall , and the children's books The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne and Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág ; notable films such as Buster Keaton 's The Cameraman , the first all-talking full-length feature film Lights of New York , and Charlie Chaplin 's The Circus ; the musical Animal Crackers ; notable popular songs such as Cole Porter 's song "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love "; and sound recordings by such performers as Bessie Smith and Ida Cox . [ 9]
Worldwide On May 28th 2024, American ballet choreographer Eliot Feld announced he will donate all his 149 ballets to the public domain. [ 10]
On March 13 2024, The J. Paul Getty Museum announced that it will release 88 thousand images into the public domain. [ 11]
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