Starting January 1, 2025, iconic characters like Popeye and Tintin, along with a treasure trove of films, books, songs, and more from 1929, will enter the U.S. public domain. This marks the end of a 95-year copyright protection period under U.S. law, granting unrestricted access for reuse, adaptation, and sharing.
Notable characters
- Tintin: The adventurous reporter and his dog, Snowy, created by Belgian cartoonist Hergé, are now free to be used in the U.S., though they remain copyrighted in the EU until 2054.
- Popeye: Introduced in the Thimble Theatre comic strip in 1929, Popeye’s original personality and attributes are available for creative reuse, but his spinach-powered strength, which debuted in 1932, remains under copyright.
Classic films and animation
1929 was pivotal in the transition from silent films to talkies, and notable entries to the public domain include:
- The Wild Party, Clara Bow’s first talkie.
- Alfred Hitchcock’s first sound film, Blackmail.
- The Broadway Melody, the first sound film to win an Oscar for Best Picture.
- Walt Disney’s The Skeleton Dance, part of the Silly Symphony series.
Literary treasures
Among the books entering public domain are:
- Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms.
- The first English translation of Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front.
- Dashiell Hammett’s detective classics Red Harvest and The Maltese Falcon.
- John Steinbeck’s debut novel Cup of Gold.
Musical milestones
A wide range of musical compositions from 1929 will also become available, including:
- George Gershwin’s An American in Paris.
- Maurice Ravel’s Bolero.
- Arthur Freed’s Singin’ in the Rain.
- Jack Yellen’s Happy Days Are Here Again.
What this means for creators
With these works entering the public domain, they become a source of inspiration for new adaptations, performances, and creative projects. From students performing public domain music to filmmakers reimagining classic stories, the possibilities are vast.
Jennifer Jenkins, director of Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, highlights this as an essential part of cultural evolution:
“Copyright’s awesome … but the fact that rights eventually expire—that’s a good thing, too, because that’s the wellspring for creativity.”
Beyond commercial adaptations, these works allow for rediscovery and personal engagement. From indie artists to classroom projects, the public domain fosters creativity and keeps cultural artifacts alive for future generations.
What will creators dream up next with Tintin, Popeye, or Hemingway? The public domain is an open invitation to find out.
