Works Entering the Public Domain in 2024

In 2024, many literary, cinematic, artistic, and musical works will enter the public domain, marking a significant event in the realm of intellectual and cultural property. When a work enters the public domain, the copyright protection that once covered it expires, allowing anyone to use, reproduce, or adapt the work without the need for authorization or payment of royalties.

This event is of great cultural and legal importance, as it broadens public access to a wide variety of creations, fostering innovation, education, and global culture.

What is the Public Domain?

The public domain refers to intellectual property that is free from exclusivity regarding access and use. This can happen for several reasons, such as the expiration of the legal protection period, the voluntary waiver of rights by the owner, or because copyright laws do not cover certain types of works.

A work in the public domain can be freely used by anyone without needing permission from the original author or their heirs and without paying royalties. This includes reproduction, distribution, adaptation, and commercial exploitation of such works.

How Long Does Copyright Last?

Copyright laws vary by country, but generally, they protect works for the life of the author plus an additional period, usually ranging from 50 to 70 years.

The duration of copyright protection varies considerably worldwide, for example:

• In the European Union, copyright generally protects works for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years.

• In the United States, the protection period depends on various factors, including the publication date. For works created after January 1, 1978, copyright also lasts for the author's life plus 70 years. However, for works published before this date, such as Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie, the protection period may extend up to 95 years from the initial publication date.

• In the United Kingdom, a similar model to the EU is followed.

These differences lead to interesting situations. For instance, George Orwell's novel 1984 entered the public domain in the United Kingdom and the European Union in 2021, 70 years after the author's death, but it will not enter the public domain in the United States until 2044, 95 years after its publication.

Movies, Songs, Books, and Works Entering the Public Domain in 2024

In 2024, a wide variety of works from different genres and regions around the world will enter the public domain. Some examples include:

• The Farmer’s Wife by Alfred Hitchcock

• The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne

• Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie

• The score for I Wanna Be Loved By You by Herbert Stothart and Harry Ruby

• The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

• The Circus by Charlie Chaplin

• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

• The Cameraman by Buster Keaton

• Artworks by Raoul Dufy

• Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence

• Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf

Challenges for Heirs and Moral Rights

However, the public domain can also present challenges, especially for the heirs of the original authors who lose control over how the works are used.

Although economic rights expire, moral rights, such as the right to attribution and the right to the integrity of the work, may still remain in effect, complicating the use of public domain works and imposing certain limitations.

For this reason, and to avoid potential litigation when aiming to commercialize the work, it is important to seek specialized advice on copyright and intellectual property.