New Year, New Classics: Celebrating the Works Entering the Public Domain in 2025

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What Is the Public Domain?

When a creative work’s copyright expires, it typically enters the public domain. In practical terms, anyone can use, share, adapt, or build upon the work without asking for permission or paying royalties to the original creator (or their estate). The length of copyright protection varies by country. Still, in the United States, many works first published in 1929 (and sound recordings from earlier years, depending on specific legislation) will enter the public domain on January 1, 2025.

Creators throughout history have drawn inspiration from the public domain. Shakespeare’s plays, for example, have been freely adapted countless times, leading to new works that enrich culture. Public domain works serve as a creative springboard, enabling artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, and others to reinterpret and revitalize classic pieces of our shared cultural heritage.

Below is an overview of notable works slated to enter the public domain in the U.S. in 2025, organized by category. Keep in mind that copyright laws differ around the world, so some of these may still be protected in other countries.

Literary Works

1. “A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway

Summary: This semi-autobiographical novel follows the experiences of an American ambulance driver serving in the Italian army during World War I.
Cultural Significance: Considered one of Hemingway’s major works, A Farewell to Arms solidified his reputation for stark, understated prose and an honest portrayal of war’s disillusionment. Its entry into the public domain allows filmmakers, dramatists, and artists new opportunities to adapt the work without needing licensing.

2. “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner

Summary: A landmark in modernist literature, Faulkner’s novel explores the decline of the Southern aristocracy through the troubled Compson family. The narrative is famously divided into four sections, each with a unique perspective and stylistic approach.
Cultural Significance: Renowned for its stream-of-consciousness technique, The Sound and the Fury is central to the Southern Gothic tradition. Its public domain status will allow educational resources, film adaptations, and creative interpretations to flourish more freely.

3. “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf

Summary: This extended essay delves into women’s historical exclusion from educational and creative opportunities, famously arguing that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”
Cultural Significance: One of the foundational texts of feminist literary criticism, Woolf’s essay has influenced countless discussions about gender, literature, and artistic freedom. Being in the public domain, it can now be freely distributed and adapted, broadening its reach to new generations of readers and thinkers.

4. “The Maltese Falcon” by Dashiell Hammett

Summary: A hardboiled detective novel featuring the iconic private investigator Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon pioneered many tropes of the noir genre.
Cultural Significance: This book helped define American crime fiction. It has been adapted multiple times for film (most famously in 1941, starring Humphrey Bogart). With its public domain status, fresh creative takes—including new film, stage, and multimedia projects—will be possible.

5. “All Quiet on the Western Front” (English translation) by Erich Maria Remarque

Summary: A powerful anti-war novel that details the experiences of German soldiers during World War I.
Cultural Significance: Though it has often been challenged and banned in various regions, All Quiet on the Western Front remains one of the most harrowing depictions of war’s futility. The English translation entering the public domain will encourage continued discussion, adaptation, and scholarly work.

6. “Cup of Gold” by John Steinbeck

Summary: John Steinbeck’s first novel, centering on the life of pirate and privateer Henry Morgan.
Cultural Significance: While not as widely read as The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck’s debut offers a glimpse into his early style and themes. Its entry into the public domain allows for reprinting, adaptations, and scholarly analysis without legal barriers.

7. “Good-bye to All That” by Robert Graves

Summary: An autobiography focusing on Graves’s early life and his harrowing experiences in World War I.
Cultural Significance: Seen as an important war memoir, it offers a candid, personal perspective on trench warfare and postwar disillusionment. Its public domain release opens doors for fresh academic discussion and interpretations, from documentaries to theatrical adaptations.

Comic Characters and Strips

1. Popeye the Sailor Man (1929 version)

Summary: First appearing in the comic strip Thimble Theatre by E.C. Segar, Popeye quickly became the star with his spinach-fueled strength.
Cultural Significance: Popeye has influenced popular culture for nearly a century. Only the 1929 version enters the public domain, so reprints of early comic strips and new derivative works based on this iteration will become easier to produce.

2. Tintin (1929 French language versions)

Summary: Hergé’s beloved boy reporter made his debut in Le Petit Vingtième. These initial tales set the stage for one of Europe’s most famous comics.
Cultural Significance: Tintin’s adventures have shaped comics, literature, and film adaptations around the world. Again, only the 1929 French-language installments are affected. Outside the U.S. and in Belgium and France, different rules may still apply, so caution is advised.

3. Buck Rogers

Summary: A pioneering science fiction comic strip, Buck Rogers introduced futuristic adventures and technology, paving the way for countless space operas to follow.
Cultural Significance: Buck Rogers became a cultural icon, influencing pop culture’s vision of space exploration. Once in the public domain, fans and creators can remix and expand the character’s universe without licensing hurdles—though trademark issues could still apply.

4. First Tarzan Daily Comic Strips by Hal Foster

Summary: Edgar Rice Burroughs’s famous jungle hero was adapted by artist Hal Foster for daily newspaper strips in 1929.
Cultural Significance: Hal Foster’s artistry influenced generations of comic art. While Burroughs’s original novel Tarzan of the Apes is already in the public domain, these specific 1929 strips could now be republished more freely, though Tarzan remains a trademarked property in some respects.

Films

1. “Blackmail” (Alfred Hitchcock’s first sound film)

Summary: This British film noir thriller chronicles a murder investigation and subsequent blackmail. It’s often cited as the first “all-talkie” film made in the UK.
Cultural Significance: Alfred Hitchcock is synonymous with suspense. Blackmail was an important milestone in his transition from silent to sound cinema. Public domain status facilitates screenings, restorations, and re-scoring projects by contemporary creators.

2. “The Cocoanuts” (Marx Brothers’ first feature film)

Summary: A musical comedy set in Florida’s land boom, featuring the Marx Brothers’ anarchic wit and comedic timing.
Cultural Significance: This film launched the Marx Brothers’ illustrious career in feature films. Public domain release allows for reissues, mash-ups, and creative tributes to comedic legends.

3. “The Skeleton Dance” (Walt Disney animation)

Summary: One of the earliest Silly Symphony shorts featuring skeletons dancing in a graveyard to a classical score.
Cultural Significance: This short showcases Walt Disney’s early creative experimentation with music and animated gags. As it enters the public domain, animators and film enthusiasts can remix and use the footage freely.

4. “Hallelujah” (King Vidor’s film with an all-Black cast)

Summary: An early musical film that explores African American life in the rural South. Noteworthy for its pioneering inclusion of an all-Black cast.
Cultural Significance: Hallelujah stands out for its representation at a time when Hollywood offered few Black-centered stories. Its entrance into public domain encourages a deeper exploration of early African American cinema and the social themes it raised.

5. “The Broadway Melody” (first sound film to win Best Picture Oscar)

Summary: A backstage musical following the ups and downs of two sisters trying to make it on Broadway.
Cultural Significance: This film marked a turning point in Hollywood’s transition to sound musicals. Public domain status opens the door for fresh restorations, new musical re-arrangements, and broader educational use.

6. Several Mickey Mouse animations, including “The Karnival Kid”

Summary: Notable for being Mickey’s first film where he speaks (“Hot dogs!”).
Cultural Significance: Mickey Mouse is one of the most recognizable characters in the world. However, Disney also holds extensive trademarks on Mickey Mouse. While the specific 1929 versions will become public domain, trademark protections mean that using Mickey’s likeness in commercial works can still be legally complex.

Musical Compositions

1. “Singin’ in the Rain” (the song)

Summary: Written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, this tune predates the famous 1952 film starring Gene Kelly.
Cultural Significance: One of the most iconic songs in Hollywood musical history. Its public domain status will allow artists to record their own versions or use it in stage productions, commercials, and more without paying royalties.

2. “An American in Paris” by George Gershwin

Summary: A jazz-influenced orchestral work, An American in Paris paints a musical portrait of an American wandering the bustling streets of Paris.
Cultural Significance: Gershwin’s fusion of classical music with jazz elements signaled a new direction in American concert music. Free performance, recording, and adaptation rights will further the piece’s popularity.

3. “Boléro” by Maurice Ravel

Summary: A one-movement orchestral piece built on an insistent snare drum rhythm and gradually unfolding melody.
Cultural Significance: Boléro is famous for its hypnotic repetition and gradual crescendo, proving influential across music and dance. Its entrance into the public domain frees it for unlimited reinterpretations and performances.

4. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” by Fats Waller

Summary: A classic stride piano and jazz standard, it quickly became one of Fats Waller’s signature tunes.
Cultural Significance: Beloved by jazz musicians worldwide, Ain’t Misbehavin’ represents the Harlem Renaissance spirit. Public domain status means more creative revivals and fresh recordings.

5. “Honeysuckle Rose”

Summary: Another jazz standard by Fats Waller, known for its catchy melody and opportunities for improvisation.
Cultural Significance: Performed by countless jazz greats, Honeysuckle Rose remains a staple in jazz repertoire. With no copyright barriers, modern artists can record, remix, and adapt the song freely.

6. “Stardust” (1929 version with lyrics)

Summary: Hoagy Carmichael’s classic, originally composed in 1927, but the 1929 version with Mitchell Parish’s lyrics is the best-known arrangement.
Cultural Significance: One of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, Stardust embodies the Great American Songbook. Public domain status opens the door to endless renditions.

Sound Recordings (from 1924)

1. First Recordings of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”

Summary: Gershwin’s pioneering symphonic jazz piece was first recorded in 1924 by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, with Gershwin at the piano.
Cultural Significance: Rhapsody in Blue helped bridge the gap between classical and popular music. As these early recordings join the public domain, archivists and music lovers can freely restore, share, and reissue them.

2. Marian Anderson’s First Record

Summary: Contralto Marian Anderson, one of the greatest voices of the 20th century, made her first recordings in the mid-1920s.
Cultural Significance: Anderson’s artistry broke racial barriers in classical music. Her recordings in the public domain mean her early performances can be preserved, featured, and studied worldwide without restriction.

Visual Arts

1. Salvador Dalí’s Paintings “The Great Masturbator” and “The Accommodations of Desire”

Summary: Surrealist masterpieces reflecting Dalí’s preoccupations with subconscious desires and dreamlike imagery.
Cultural Significance: Dalí’s shocking, dream-like visuals revolutionized modern art. Their public domain status in the U.S. means freer access to reproductions and adaptations. However, check local laws regarding moral rights and museum holdings.

2. René Magritte’s “The Treachery of Images” (Pending copyright status verification)

Summary: Famous for its depiction of a pipe with the caption “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (“This is not a pipe”).
Cultural Significance: Magritte’s piece challenges viewers’ assumptions about representation and reality. Whether it’s fully in the public domain in 2025 may depend on ongoing verification of the original publication date and the applicable country’s laws.

3. Photographs by August Sander from “Face of Our Time”

Summary: Influential portrait series capturing the faces and social strata of early 20th-century Germany.
Cultural Significance: Sander’s stark, direct style revolutionized portraiture and documentary photography. Once these works enter the public domain, exhibitions, scholarly analyses, and reproductions can expand without licensing hurdles.

Important Notes

Only the 1929 Versions of Characters Enter the Public Domain
- For characters like Popeye or Tintin, only the specific 1929 depictions or publications become free to use in the U.S. Newer developments and storylines may still be under copyright.
Copyright Status Varies by Country
- Even if works become public domain in the United States, other regions may maintain longer terms of copyright or have different rules. Always verify the laws in each jurisdiction.
Trademark Protections May Still Apply
- Iconic figures such as Mickey Mouse or Tarzan are heavily trademarked. A work being in the public domain does not negate existing trademarks, so commercial uses of these characters may still face legal restrictions.

Conclusion

The public domain is a treasure trove of cultural heritage, and each January 1st—often called “Public Domain Day”—brings a fresh wave of creative works that anyone can freely enjoy, adapt, and share. For 2025, the inclusion of famed literary novels, pioneering films, classic musical compositions, early comic strip characters, iconic sound recordings, and groundbreaking visual artworks marks a significant expansion of our shared cultural commons. As these works become more accessible, they inspire future generations to engage with, reinvent, and celebrate the art of the past—ensuring that our collective culture continues to grow and evolve.