When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of works is not uniform. The following lists list creators whose works entered the public domain in 2025 under the most common copyright regimes.
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 | Birth | Death | Occupation | Notable work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean Absil |  Belgium | 23 October 1893 | 2 February 1974 | Composer | |
| Gilbert Archey |  New Zealand | 4 August 1890 | 20 October 1974 | Zoologist | The Moa, a Study of the Dinornithiformes |
| Miguel Ángel Asturias |  Guatemala | 19 October 1899 | 9 June 1974 | Poet-diplomat | El Señor Presidente |
| Farid al-Atrash |  Egypt | 1917 | 26 December 1974 | Composer | |
| Kurt Atterberg |  Sweden | 12 December 1887 | 15 February 1974 | Composer | Compositions |
| H. E. Bates |  United Kingdom | 16 May 1905 | 29 January 1974 | Writer | The Darling Buds of May |
| Erick Berry |  United States | 4 January 1892 | February 1974 | Writer | The Winged Girl of Knossos |
| Bobby Bloom | United States | 15 January 1946 | 28 February 1974 | Singer-songwriter | "Montego Bay" |
| Hector Bolitho | New Zealand | 28 May 1897 | 12 September 1974 | Writer | Albert the Good and the Victorian Reign |
| Buddhadeb Bosu |  Bangladesh | 1908 | 1974 | Writer | |
| Jorge Camargo Spolidore |  Colombia | June 1912 | 29 January 1974 | Composer | "Chatica Linda" |
| Rosario Castellanos |  Mexico | 25 May 1925 | 7 August 1974 | Poet, novelist | The Nine Guardians |
| Nellie Coad | New Zealand | 15 October 1883 | 6 September 1974 | Teacher, writer | |
| Phillis Emily Cunnington | United Kingdom | 1 November 1887 | 24 October 1974 | Physician, historian | Handbook of English Mediaeval Costume |
| Maurice Duggan | New Zealand | 25 November 1922 | 11 December 1974 | Writer | Summer in the Gravel Pit |
| Duke Ellington | United States | 29 April 1899 | 24 May 1974 | Composer | Duke Ellington discography |
| Julius Evola |  Italy | 19 May 1898 | 11 June 1974 | Philosopher | Revolt Against the Modern World |
| Allal al-Fassi |  Morocco | 10 January 1910 | 13 May 1974 | Writer | The Independence Movements in Arab North Africa |
| Dorothy Fields | United States | 15 July 1904 | 28 March 1974 | Film lyricist | "The Way You Look Tonight" |
| Louise Fitzhugh | United States | 5 October 1928 | 19 November 1974 | Writer | Harriet the Spy |
| Georgette Heyer | United Kingdom | 16 August 1902 | 4 July 1974 | Writer | List of works by Georgette Heyer |
| Ali Ismael | Egypt | 28 December 1922 | 16 June 1974 | Composer | Fida'i |
| Marie Luise Kaschnitz |  Germany | 31 January 1901 | 10 October 1974 | Writer | Menschen und Dinge 1945 |
| Erich Kästner | Germany | 23 February 1899 | 29 July 1974 | Poet, screenwriter | Emil and the Detectives |
| Muhammad Ayub Khan |  Pakistan | 14 May 1907 | 19 April 1974 | Politician | Books |
| Pär Lagerkvist | Sweden | 23 May 1891 | 11 July 1974 | Writer | Barabbas |
| Eve Langley | New Zealand | 1 September 1904 | 1 June 1974 | Writer | The Pea-Pickers |
| Charles Lindbergh | United States | 4 February 1902 | 26 August 1974 | Aviator, writer | "WE", The Spirit of St. Louis |
| Eric Linklater | United Kingdom | 8 March 1899 | 7 November 1974 | Writer, poet | The Wind on the Moon |
| Walter Lippmann | United States | 23 September 1889 | 14 December 1974 | Writer | Public Opinion |
| Margaret MacPherson | New Zealand | 19 June 1895 | 14 September 1974 | Writer, journalist | A Symposium Against War |
| P. Schuyler Miller | United States | 21 February 1912 | 13 October 1974 | Writer | |
| Henry de Monfreid |  France | 14 November 1879 | 13 December 1974 | Adventurer, writer | Secrets of the Red Sea |
| Stanley Mullen | United States | 20 June 1911 | 1974 | Artist, writer | Kinsmen of the Dragon |
| Leslie Munro | New Zealand | 26 February 1901 | 13 February 1974 | Politician, writer | United Nations: hope for a divided world |
| Douglas Robb | New Zealand | 1899 | 1974 | Physician, writer | Medical Odyssey |
| David Alfaro Siqueiros | Mexico | 29 December 1896 | 6 January 1974 | Painter, muralist | Portrait of the Bourgeoisie (1939–1940), The March of Humanity (1957–1971) |
| William Sloane | United States | 15 August 1906 | 25 September 1974 | Writer | To Walk the Night |
| Zaharia Stancu |  Romania | 7 October 1902 | 5 December 1974 | Writer | Through the Ashes of the Empire |
| Sheila Stuart | United Kingdom | 1892 | 1974 | Writer | Alison's Highland Holiday |
| Jacqueline Susann | United States | 20 August 1918 | 21 September 1974 | Writer | Valley of the Dolls |
| Sándor Szathmári |  Hungary | 29 June 1897 | 16 July 1974 | Writer, mechanical engineer | Kazohinia |
| Whanki Kim |  South Korea | 3 April 1913 | 25 July 1974 | Painter | What Form, Shall We Meet Again? (어디서 무엇이 되어 다시 만나랴) |
| Robert Charles Zaehner | United Kingdom | 8 April 1913 | 24 November 1974 | Scholar | Zurvan, Mysticism, Our Savage God |
In Bangladesh, Haiti, India, and Venezuela a work enters the public domain 60 years after the creator's death.
| Names | Country | Birth | Death | Occupation | Notable work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Atl | Mexico | 3 October 1875 | 15 August 1964 | Painter, writer | |
| Fernando Leal | Mexico | 26 February 1896 | 7 October 1964 | Painter, muralist, lithographer, engraver | |
| Bharathidasan |  India | 29 April 1891 | 21 April 1964 | Poet | "Tamil Thai Valthu" |
| Birinchi Kumar Barua | India | 16 October 1908 | 30 March 1964 | Scholar, writer | |
| Carlos Brandt |  Venezuela | 11 October 1875 | 27 February 1964 | Writer | |
| Guru Dutt | India | 9 July 1925 | 10 October 1964 | Film director | Pyaasa |
| Ian Fleming | United Kingdom | 28 May 1908 | 12 August 1964 | Writer | James Bond |
| Mushtaq Hussain Khan | India | 1878 | 13 August 1964 | Musician | |
| Jawaharlal Nehru | India | 14 November 1889 | 27 May 1964 | Politician | An Autobiography |
Except for Belarus (Life + 50 years) [1] and Spain (which has a copyright term of Life + 80 years for creators that died before 1988), a work enters the public domain in Europe 70 years after the creator's death, if it was published during the creator's lifetime. [2] [3] As such, the works of all authors who died in 1954 entered the European public domain in 2025. The same term applies in much of South America, and parts of western Africa.
Two of the most important authors whose works entered the European public domain in 2025 were Henri Matisse, one of the most revolutionary artists of the early 20th century and a key figure in multiple art movements; and Frida Kahlo, arguably the most recognized Mexican painter. At this time, the latter's works remained copyrighted in her native country. Other significant examples of authors whose works entered the public domain included actor and film director Lionel Barrymore (already partially public domain in his native United States), architects Auguste Perret and William Van Alen (the respective designers of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and the Chrysler Building in New York City), cartoonists Bud Fisher and George McManus, Italian composers Franco Alfano and Achille Longo, German composers Walter Braunfels and Herms Niel, Austrian composer Fred Raymond, American composers Charles Ives and Arthur Johnston (the latter of whom wrote "Cocktails for Two"), Man with a Movie Camera director Dziga Vertov, founding father of Chinese cinema Zhang Shichuan (already public domain in his native China), French painters André Derain and Jacques Gachot , Portuguese sculptor Maximiano Alves, gospel blues musician Washington Phillips, Lost Horizon author James Hilton, British novelist Francis Brett Young, Gigi author Colette, German author of the Dr. Mabuse novels Norbert Jacques, German writer and filmmaker Thea von Harbou, Italian writer Enrico Cavacchioli , American novelist Maxwell Bodenheim, and Australian writer Miles Franklin. Spanish writer Jacinto Benavente's works will also enter the public domain in countries with a life + 70 years copyright term, though they will still be under copyright in their native Spain. The publications of mathematicians Gino Loria and Alan Turing and physicist Enrico Fermi also entered the public domain, along with an experimental film by the inventor of the cinematograph, Auguste Lumière.
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.
| Names | Country | Birth | Death | Occupation | Notable work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joaquín Álvarez Quintero |  Spain | 20 January 1873 | 14 June 1944 | Playwright | |
| Miguel Asín Palacios | Spain | 5 July 1871 | 12 August 1944 | Scholar | El Islam cristianizado |
| Manuel Chaves Nogales | Spain | 7 August 1879 | 8 May 1944 | Writer, journalist | Juan Belmonte, matador de toros; su vida y sus hazañas |
| Enrique Díez Canedo | Spain | 7 January 1879 | 6 June 1944 | Poet | |
| Francisco Gómez-Jordana Sousa | Spain | 1 February 1876 | 3 August 1944 | Politician | Milicia y Diplomacia: Diarios Del Conde de Jordana, 1936–1944 |
| Elías Mauricio Soto Uribe | Colombia | 22 September 1858 | 11 October 1944 | Instrumentalist | |
| Antonio Videgain | Spain | 10 March 1869 | 9 February 1944 | Composer |
Russia has a copyright term of life + 70 years in general, with two special provisions:
1954 marks the first large wave of posthumous rehabilitations.
| Names | Country | Birth | Death | Occupation | Notable work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pavel Bazhov |  Soviet Union | 27 January 1879 | 3 December 1950 | Writer | The Malachite Box |
| Yustin Djanelidze | Soviet Union | 1 August 1883 | 14 January 1950 | Doctor | A case of the repair of an injury of the ascending aorta |
| Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky | Soviet Union | 11 February 1887 | 28 December 1950 | Writer | The New Gulliver |
| Andrey Kryachkov | Soviet Union | 24 November 1876 | 25 August 1950 | Architect | 100-Flat Building |
| Nikolai Luzin | Soviet Union | 9 December 1883 | 28 February 1950 | Mathematician | Lusin's theorem |
| Nikolai Myaskovsky | Soviet Union | 20 April 1881 | 8 August 1950 | Composer | List of compositions by Nikolai Myaskovsky |
| Antonina Nezhdanova | Soviet Union | 16 June 1873 | 26 June 1950 | Singer | Vocalise |
| Vladimir Sorin | Soviet Union | 1893 | October 1944 | Historian | Lenin in the Brest days |
| Viktor Vesnin | Soviet Union | 9 April 1882 | 17 September 1950 | Architect | Palace of Culture of the Proletarsky district, Moscow |
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 (British and possibly other) 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). [4]
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 does not revive expired copyright. [5] [6] No more new Canadian authors will come out of copyright until 1 January 2043 (those who died in 1972). Crown copyright was not changed, thus any government works published in 1974 entered the public domain in 2025. [7]
Under the Copyright Term Extension Act, books and other works published in 1929 and films released in 1929 entered the public domain in 2025. [8] [9] Unpublished works whose authors died in 1954 also entered the public domain. [8] The character Captain Easy, [10] Popeye the Sailor Man, [a] Disney's Horace Horsecollar, and Hergé's Tintin entered the public domain through their respective debut appearances in 2025. [11] [b] The same happened for the first Tarzan strips illustrated by Hal Foster. [10] On the other hand, the character Buck Rogers (who also first appeared in U.S. newspapers the same year) was already in the public domain as his first strips failed to have their copyrights renewed, despite claims to the contrary. [12]
Two notable music compositions that entered the public domain in 2025 were George Gershwin's An American in Paris and Maurice Ravel's Boléro ; though composed in 1928, they were not published until 1929. [12] Among the popular songs that entered the public domain that year were Fats Waller's song "Ain't Misbehavin'", Cole Porter's song "What Is This Thing Called Love?", the musical number "Singin' in the Rain", "Tip Toe Through the Tulips", "Happy Days Are Here Again", "Am I Blue?", "You Were Meant For Me", [12] "Honeysuckle Rose" (also written by Waller), "Can't We Be Friends?", and "Without A Song". [13] Sound recordings that were published in 1924 also entered the public domain, [8] including the first recordings of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue , Jelly Roll Morton's "King Porter Stomp", Irving Berlin's songs "Lazy" [12] and "What'll I Do?", [13] "It Had to Be You", "California, Here I Come", [12] and "Somebody Loves Me". [13]
Notable films that entered the public domain in 2025 included the following: [12] [13]
Significant literary works entering the public domain included Ernest Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms , Virginia Woolf's essay A Room of One's Own , William Faulkner's novel The Sound and the Fury , Oliver La Farge's novel Laughing Boy , Walter Lippmann's A Preface to Morals, James Thurber's Is Sex Necessary? Or, Why You Feel the Way You Do (co-written by E. B. White), Robert Graves' autobiography Good-Bye to All That , Patrick Hamilton's play Rope , Richard Hughes' A High Wind in Jamaica , John Steinbeck's first novel Cup of Gold , Dashiell Hammett's novel Red Harvest and the original serialized version of his Maltese Falcon , the first English translation of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front , Agatha Christie's crime novel The Seven Dials Mystery , The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen, [12] Alfred Döblin's novel Berlin Alexanderplatz in its original German, S. S. Van Dine's detective novel The Scarab Murder Case , Sinclair Lewis' novel Dodsworth , the children's book Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field, Thomas Wolfe's novel Look Homeward, Angel , Jean Cocteau's novel Les Enfants Terribles in its original French, and William Seabrook's novel The Magic Island , the first book to introduce the concept of a zombie. [13]
Important artworks that entered the public domain included Salvador Dalí's paintings The Great Masturbator and The Accommodations of Desire , Wassily Kandinsky's painting Upward , Edward Hopper's painting Chop Suey , Kawamura Kiyoo's painting Founding of the Nation , Julio Romero de Torres' painting La Fuensanta , M. C. Escher's print Strada di Scanno , the first design of the Barcelona chair, and August Sander's photograph Berlin Coal Carrier and other photographs from his 1929 photobook Face of our Time. The public domain status of René Magritte's painting The Treachery of Images is contentious.[ needs update ] [12]
On February 25, 2025, it was announced that the 3D printing computermodel 3DBenchy will enter the public domain through a CC0-license. [14] [15]
A 3D printable computermodel of the sculpture Best Friends Forever in which Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein are holding hands is released into the public domain. [16]
