The Best Songs, Movies, and Books Coming to the Public Domain in 2024 (It’s Not “Steamboat Willie”)

Posted on by

Hangovers and broken resolutions aside, the start of a new year means that rights to additional intellectual property are transferred from their original owners to you, the public. public domain one Mickey Mouse.

Disney has fought zealously to protect the copyright of its most iconic character since at least 1976, when he successfully persuaded Congress to pass the Copyright Act, which allowed owners to retain copyright for the life of the author of the work plus 50 years. In 1998, this period was extended to 75 years, or a maximum of 95 years. The clock has finally caught up with Disney, and Mickey, Minnie and all the cartoon stars of the iconic 1928 short “Steamboat Willie” now belong to the public. Sort of like the version of Mickey with red shorts and big eyes still belongs to Disney; the black and white version of Mickey’s “Steamboat” is not.

It’s no surprise that you can already find tons of copyright-free Steamboat Willie remixes and mashups online, or get involved in a Mickey-based cryptocurrency scheme , or prepare to watch the horror movie Mickey’s Mousetrap.

Given the attention Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey received earlier this year , one might have expected a cheap horror film based on Steamboat Willie, but Disney’s iconic rodent mascot isn’t the only beloved piece of art or culture on which can be claimed. for yourself as of January 1, 2024

Here are other famous works that have just become free for everyone in the US:

Notable books and plays entering the public domain in 2024.

  • Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.G. Lawrence: Someone should make a horror film based on this British tale about an upper-class woman’s affair with her gardener.

  • Bertolt Brecht, The Threepenny Opera : The German version of this Weimar Republic-era musical, set in London’s seedy underground, is now free to be translated, adapted and otherwise fooled around with. However, we will have to wait three years for the rights to the film version of 1931 to become available.

  • ” The House on Pooh Corner ” by A. A. Milne : The Winnie the Pooh character has been in the public domain since 2022, but his sidekick Tigger recently became free, allowing the iconic Tigger plush to appear in the sequel to the aforementioned (and terrible) Pooh. based on the horror film “Blood and Honey”.

  • All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque: I doubt you’ll be able to top Netflix’s superb 2022 adaptation of this grim World War I tale , but now you can try—the German version has recently gone public.

  • Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag: This is the oldest picture book in the United States still in print. I love the simple black and white illustrations – and now they’re free so I can turn them into t-shirts.

    I have included a link to this photo in Wanda Gag’s name for convenience only. 1 credit

Notable films released to the public in 2024

  • “Lights of New York”. This story of New York’s poor was touted as “the first big picture.” It’s now free to watch on YouTube, download and share whatever you want.

  • Circus : The full version of Charlie Chaplin’s hit film is not currently available on YouTube, but it’s only a matter of time before it appears.

  • The Passion of Joan of Arc : If you’re only going to watch one 1928 silent film, choose Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc. It’s amazing that the close-up was invented just ten years before it was perfected in this film.

  • The Man Who Laughs : In this creepy horror melodrama, the main character has a huge grin on his face. Yes, Joker is a complete copy of Conrad Veidt’s iconic take on Victor Hugo’s character.

A week ago, this film belonged to Warner Brothers. Credit: Public Domain

  • The Crowd : King Vidor’s sweeping, groundbreaking story of ordinary people crushed by an indifferent world predicted the suffering of the Great Depression. It’s now free to watch, remake and share. Hell, 1928 was just a great year for movies.

Famous songs that became public in 2024.

  • ” Mack the Knife ” This song about murder from ThreePenny Opera is now available for free. At least the German version. Please note: Individual entries, such as Bobby Darin’s message, are not in the public domain.

  • “ Lawdy, Lawdy Blues ,” Ida Cox: This stunning old-school blues song was recorded in 1923, and the recording became public knowledge in 2024.

  • “ Moonshine Blues ,” Ma Rainey: Writing songs about drinking has been cool for over 100 years!

  • Harry McClintock’s Big Rock Candy Mountains : This American Tramp classic is now in the public domain, but only the composition, not the recording.

  • ” Let’s Do It. Let’s Fall in Love ” by Cole Porter: If you want the opposite of tramp music, listen to this sophisticated love song from the 1928 musical Paris .

More…

0
Entertainment

Leave a Reply