Frida Kahlo and Henri Matisse Enter the Public Domain

Hyperallergic: “Happy Public Domain Day! Starting today, January 1, you can legally access, adapt, remix, and republish (depending on your jurisdiction) the work of Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, and Robert Capa, as well as certain texts by William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, and Ernest Hemingway, among others. In the United States, the copyright term surrounding commissioned works is 95 years, so films and books that were published in 1929 are up for grabs. The US also abides by the “life plus 70 years” term for individual works that are copyrighted; therefore, the protection for the work of any author or creator who died in 1954 has now expired. One of our favorite resources is Public Domain Review journal’s annual advent countdown calendar, which highlights a month’s worth of significant contributions to literature as well as visual and performing arts that have joined the public domain in 2025…”

See also via LLRX – January 1, 2025 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1929 are open to all, as are sound recordings from 1924 –  On January 1, 2025, thousands of copyrighted works from 1929 will enter the US public domain, along with sound recordings from 1924. They will be free for all to copy, share, and build upon. This year’s literary highlights include The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, and A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. In film, Mickey Mouse speaks his first words, the Marx Brothers star in their first feature film, and legendary directors from Alfred Hitchcock to John Ford made their first sound films. From comic strips, the original Popeye and Tintin characters will enter the public domain. Among the newly public domain compositions are Gershwin’s An American in Paris, Ravel’s Bolero, Fats Waller’s Ain’t Misbehavin’, and the musical number Singin’ in the Rain. This expansive guide by Jennifer Jenkins selectively highlights a wide range of works that will be in the U.S. public domain in 2025. For librarians, educators and everyone who loves iconic books, music, film, plays, art and cartoons, this is a wonderful, welcome gift with which to begin 2025.