Public Domain Day 2026

As we begin 2026, not only can we celebrate the New Year, but we can also celebrate a slew of artistic works that have become free for everyone to use. At the beginning of the calendar year, copyright expires for certain works, and they enter the public domain (PD). Works in the PD are not protected by copyright and are freely available for public use.

This video highlights some of the most notable works to enter the PD in 2026.  

This year, most works that were created in 1930 are now in the PD. It is incredible how within a few short years, the film industry moved away from silent films and embraced significant innovations in sound and photography. For example, the historical film about World War I, All Quiet on the Western Front  is visually stunning—especially with the film depiction of soldiers marching through no man’s land. The same can be said for the opening to The Big Trail as it showcases the massive scale of settlers on the Oregon Trail in beautiful wide shots. We are also lucky to have more of Hitchcock’s filmography entering the PD, like Murder! as well as another Marxs Brothers’ film Animal Crackers. 

For cartoons, the first film appearance of Betty Boop is now in the PD: Dizzy Dishes. Her early depictions are odd, to say the least, having her singing as an uncanny dog, but it’s Betty Boop nevertheless. A similar situation occurred with Mickey’s dog Pluto in The Picnic, in which Pluto makes his first appearance—although he is not called Pluto yet, but Rover. (Note that in both cases, these original characters have entered the PD, and not the later versions. It will be a couple more years before the true version of Pluto enters the PD.) Another cartoon milestone is Fiddlesticks, which entered the PD, a cartoon by Ub Iwerks—one of the first cartoons ever to be made with color (sort of, it’s really just a combination of a red and green palette).

For books, classic such as As I Lay Dying, The Maltese Falcon, The Conquest of Happiness, and Cimarron. And how can we forget The Little Engine That Could! 

For music compositions, the standards I Got Rhythm, Georgia on My Mind, Just a Gigolo, and You’re Driving Me Crazy are now in the PD. 

There is so many more works that have entered the PD, so be sure to visit Duke Law’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, which does an incredible job each year recording which resources enter the PD. 

Remember that works in the PD are for everyone! They now belong to the public, so be sure to share and enjoy these works!