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New Year’s Day commemorates the passing of time and the start of a new chapter, so it is fitting that the same day also presents an opportunity to breathe new life into thousands of creative works nearly a century old. As of Jan. 1, 2026, characters like early Betty Boop and Nancy Drew, and a variety of popular movies, books and songs, have entered the the public domain.
They join a growing list of cultural icons that are no longer under copyright protection, including Popeye the Sailor Man and the “Steamboat Willie” version of Mickey Mouse.
List of popular intellectual property entering the public domain in 2026
The year 2026 marks the first time that copyrighted books, films, songs and art published in the ’30s enter the U.S. public domain. As of Jan. 1, protections have expired for published works from 1930 and sound recordings from 1925.
Here are some of the most notable works that are now available for free use by anyone:
- “The Murder at the Vicarage” by Agatha Christie, the first novel featuring elderly amateur detective Miss Marple.
- “The Secret of the Old Clock” by Carolyn Keene, the first appearance of teen detective Nancy Drew, and three follow-ups.
- “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper.
- Fleischer Studios’ “Dizzy Dishes,” the first cartoon in which Betty Boop appears.
- Disney’s “The Chain Gang” and “The Picnic,” both depicting the earliest versions of Mickey’s dog Pluto.
- The initial four months of “Blondie” comic strips by Chic Young, featuring the earliest iterations of the titular character and her then-boyfriend, Dagwood.
- The film “All Quiet on the Western Front,” directed by Lewis Milestone, Best Picture winner at the 3rd Academy Awards.
- “King of Jazz,” directed by John Murray Anderson, Bing Crosby’s first appearance in a feature film.
- “Animal Crackers,” directed by Victor Heerman and starring the Marx Brothers.
- “The Big Trail,” directed by Raoul Walsh, John Wayne’s first turn as leading man.
- “But Not For Me,” music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin.
- “Georgia on My Mind,” music by Hoagy Carmichael, lyrics by Stuart Gorrell.
- “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, lyrics by Gus Kahn.
- “Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight,” music by Al Sherman, lyrics by Al Lewis.
- Piet Mondrian’s painting, “Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow.”
How the public domain works
When a work’s copyright protections lapse, it lands in the public domain, allowing anyone to use and build upon it as they see fit for free and without needing permission.
“Copyright gives rights to creators and their descendants that provide incentives to create,” Jennifer Jenkins, director of Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, told CBS News’ Lee Cowan in 2024. “But the public domain really is the soil for future creativity.”
The U.S. Constitution’s intellectual property clause establishes that works be protected for a limited amount of time, “to promote the progress of science and useful arts.” The Founding Fathers left it to Congress to sort out the specifics.
Generally, in the U.S., works published or registered before 1978 retain copyright protections for 95 years. For later works, protection usually spans the creator’s lifetime and 70 years after.
“If copyright lasted forever, it would be very difficult for a lot of creators to make the works they want to make without worrying about being in the crosshairs of a copyright lawsuit,” Jenkins said.
Just because a work’s copyright has expired does not mean that members of the public cannot be held legally liable in some instances. For example, while the original Betty Boop from 1930 is in the public domain, the modern version is not. So to avoid infringement, any reuse would need to steer clear of her newer characteristics. Additionally, the character is subject to multiple trademarks, which further complicates its use.
What’s entering the public domain in 2027?
Copyrighted works from 1931 will see their protections expire in 2027. This includes Universal Pictures’ “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” films, Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights,” Fritz Lang’s “M,” Herman Hupfeld’s jazz standard “As Time Goes By” and more.
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