It’s a New Year, and in the world of copyright law it’s truly a new day. Because of extensions granted by Congress no copyrighted work has entered the public domain through expiration in 20 years. But that changes today, January 1, 2019. Happy public domain day!
As of today all works first published in 1923 are free to use for any purpose. This opens up new opportunities for re-mix, exhibition, and enjoyment. Google Books and The Internet Archive have already begun making thousands of works available free to the public. Somewhere a great adaptation has finally begun.
The works entering the public domain include early Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton works, as well as Cecil Demille’s silent masterpiece The Ten Commandments. Various books by authors like Agatha Christie, Aldous Huxley, and Edgar Rice Burroughs will be free to use. So go out and enjoy something today.
For those looking to protect a current work of art, the Law Firm of Dillon McCarthy stands waiting to assist creators.