Public Domain Day

On Jan. 1, thousands of copyrighted works from 1928 will enter the US public domain, along with sound recordings from 1923. 

The first day of the year is always known as Public Domain Day, when copyrights for older works expire and can be used by anyone.

This year’s highlights include Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence, Cole Porter’s Let’s Do It, and a trove of sound recordings from 1923. 

And, of course, 2024 marks the long-awaited arrival of Steamboat Willie – featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse – into the public domain. 

That story is so fascinating, so rich in irony, so rife with misinformation about what you will be able to do with Mickey and Minnie now that they are in the public domain that it deserved its own article, “Mickey, Disney, and the Public Domain: a 95-year Love Triangle.” 

Why is it a love triangle? What rights does Disney still have? How is trademark law involved? Read all about it here. 

Here is just a handful of the works that will be in the US public domain in 2024. (Duke University 01/01/24) Public Domain Day 2024 | Duke University School of Law