However, since 2019, some of those existing copyrights have been expiring, meaning that those characters entered the public domain, as their owners lost exclusive rights to their likeness.

A new year means a new start, and for some pieces of media, it means entering the public domain. In 2024, one of the most famous additions to the public domain was the first iteration of Mickey Mouse, ...

These are just a small handful of the most important items on the list. Click here to view photo gallery Source: These Classic Characters Are Now in the Public Domain ...

But as we saw with the litigation around the character Sherlock Holmes in the mid-2010s, just because a first instance of a work enters the public domain does not mean a character is free game.

According to the Duke University School of Law's Center for the Study of the Public Domain, that list includes a number of iconic characters. The very first appearance of Popeye the Sailor ...

As of Jan. 1, 2025, several iconic books and characters are now freely available ... List of popular intellectual property entering the public domain in 2025 Works from 1929 and sound recordings ...

With Tintin characters entering the public domain, it is unlikely Marabout would now face such challenges if he made and sold his works in the U.S. This means a person could use these character as ...

Jan. 1 marks the dawn of a new era for Popeye and Tintin. It's the day the nonagenarian cartoon characters officially enter the U.S. public domain along with a treasure trove of other iconic works.

Superman. Captain America. The Fantastic Four. All of these characters, and many, many more, are getting new movies this year ...

1 marks the dawn of a new era for Popeye and Tintin. It's the day the nonagenarian cartoon characters officially enter the U.S. public domain along with a treasure trove of other iconic works.