When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2025. 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 For previously unpublished material, those who publish it first will have the publication rights for 25 years.
In Bangladesh, India, and Venezuela a work enters the public domain 60 years after the creator's death.
| Names | Country | Birth | Death | Occupation | Notable work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Mushtaq Hussain Khan | India | 1878 | 13 August 1964 | Musician | |
| Jawaharlal Nehru | India | 14 November 1889 | 27 May 1964 | Politician | An Autobiography |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert Archey |  New Zealand | 4 August 1890 | 20 October 1974 | Zoologist | The Moa, a Study of the Dinornithiformes |
| Farid al-Atrash |  Egypt | 1917 | 26 December 1974 | Composer | |
| 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 |
| Hector Bolitho | New Zealand | 28 May 1897 | 12 September 1974 | Writer | Albert the Good and the Victorian Reign |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Eve Langley | New Zealand | 1 September 1904 | 1 June 1974 | Writer | The Pea-Pickers |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| William Sloane | United States | 15 August 1906 | 25 September 1974 | Writer | To Walk the Night |
| Sheila Stuart |  Scotland | 1892 | 1974 | Writer | Alison's Highland Holiday |
| Jacqueline Susann | United States | 20 August 1918 | 21 September 1974 | Writer | Valley of the Dolls |
| Robert Charles Zaehner | United Kingdom | 8 April 1913 | 24 November 1974 | Scholar | Zurvan, Mysticism, Our Savage God |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrique Díez Canedo |  Spain | 7 January 1879 | 6 June 1944 | Poet | |
| Joaquín Álvarez Quintero | Spain | 20 January 1873 | 14 June 1944 | Playwright | |
| Antonio Videgain | Spain | 10 March 1869 | 9 February 1944 | Composer |
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 will 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 does not revive expired copyright. [2] [3] 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 will enter the public domain in 2025. [4]
Under the Copyright Term Extension Act, books and other works published in 1929 and films released in 1929 will enter the public domain in 2025. [5] Sound recordings that were published in 1924 will also enter the public domain. [6] The characters Buck Rogers, [7] Captain Easy [8] and Popeye the Sailor Man will enter the public domain in 2025. [9] The same happens for the first Tarzan strips illustrated by Hal Foster that were launched in 1929. [8]
Unpublished works whose authors died in 1954 will enter the public domain in 2025.
Among the films that will enter public domain in 2025 are the following:
Examples of important literary works entering the public domain include Ernest Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms , William Seabrook's novel The Magic Island (the first book to introduce the concept of a zombie). Ellery Queen's detective novel The Roman Hat Mystery , Margery Allingham detective novel The Crime at Black Dudley , the first English translation of Erich Maria Remarque's novel All Quiet on the Western Front , Alfred Döblin's novel Berlin Alexanderplatz in its original German, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's novel Pather Panchali in its original Bengali, Lynd Ward's graphic novel Gods' Man , William Faulkner's novel The Sound and the Fury , Virginia Woolf's essay A Room of One's Own , Ludwig Wittgenstein's essay Some Remarks on Logical Form and the first part of the 14th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica .
Important artworks entering the public domain include René Magritte's painting The Treachery of Images , Salvador Dali'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 , August Sander's photograph Berlin Coal Carrier and the first design of the Barcelona chair.
The Gallopin' Gaucho is a 1928 American animated short film and the second short film featuring Mickey Mouse to be produced, following Plane Crazy and preceding Steamboat Willie. The Disney studios completed the silent version in August 1928, but did not release it in order to work on Steamboat Willie. The Gallopin' Gaucho was released, with sound, after Steamboat Willie on December 30 of the same year.
The copyright law of Canada governs the legally enforceable rights to creative and artistic works under the laws of Canada. Canada passed its first colonial copyright statute in 1832 but was subject to imperial copyright law established by Britain until 1921. Current copyright law was established by the Copyright Act of Canada which was first passed in 1921 and substantially amended in 1988, 1997, and 2012. All powers to legislate copyright law are in the jurisdiction of the Parliament of Canada by virtue of section 91(23) of the Constitution Act, 1867.
Public Domain Day (PDD) is an observance of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain. This legal transition of copyright works into the public domain usually happens every year on January 1 based on the individual copyright laws of each country.
A public domain film is one that is not protected by copyright. A film can lack copyright protection for various reasons, but often it occurs following the end of a copyright term. Because copyright term varies by country, certain films might be public domain in one country but not another. For example, the film Metropolis entered the United States public domain in 2023, but under current EU copyright law, the film will remain under copyright in Germany and the rest of the European Union until the end of 2046, 70 years after Fritz Lang's death.
The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act – also known as the Copyright Term Extension Act, Sonny Bono Act, or (derisively) the Mickey Mouse Protection Act – extended copyright terms in the United States in 1998. It is one of several acts extending the terms of copyright.
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds the exclusive rights, anyone can legally use or reference those works without permission.
Works are in the public domain if they are not covered by the intellectual property right known as copyright, or if the intellectual property rights to the works have expired. Works automatically enter the public domain when their copyright has expired. The United States Copyright Office is a federal agency tasked with maintaining copyright records.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of works that entered the public domain in 2017. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of works that entered the public domain in 2018. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of works that entered the public domain in 2019. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2020. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works is not uniform.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of works that entered the public domain in 2011. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2021. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain on 1 January 2022. When copyright expires in a creative work, it enters the public domain. Since copyright terms vary from country to country, the copyright status of a work may not be the same in all countries.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2023. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2024. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2026. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of works that entered the public domain in 2007. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2027. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2028. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works is not uniform.
Media related to Undelete in 2025 at Wikimedia Commons
