When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2024. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
With the exception of Belarus (Life + 50 years) and Spain (which has a copyright term of Life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987), a work enters the public domain in Europe 70 years after the creator's death, if it was published during the creator's lifetime. For previously unpublished material, those who publish it first will have the publication rights for 25 years.
Names | Country | Birth | Death | Occupation | Notable work |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hans Aanrud | Norway | 1863 | 1953 | Writer | |
Tamar Abakelia | Georgia | 1905 | 1953 | Sculptor | |
Abdullah Yusuf Ali | India | 1872 | 1953 | Translator | The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary |
Dimitri Arakishvili | Georgia | 1873 | 1953 | Composer | The Legend of Shota Rustaveli |
Walter Armitage | South Africa | 1906 | 1953 | Playwright | |
Vladimir Bakaleinikov | Russia | 1885 | 1953 | Composer, conductor | |
Rudolf Bauer | Germany | 1889 | 1953 | Painter | |
Arnold Bax | United Kingdom | 1883 | 1953 | Composer, writer | List of compositions by Arnold Bax |
Harmsen van der Beek | The Netherlands | 1897 | 1953 | Illustrator, commercial artist | Noddy |
Hilaire Belloc | United Kingdom | 1870 | 1953 | Writer | Hilaire Belloc bibliography |
Róbert Berény | Hungary | 1887 | 1953 | Painter | Sleeping Lady with Black Vase |
Henri Bernstein | France | 1876 | 1953 | Playwright | Samson, Mélo |
Elsa Beskow | Sweden | 1874 | 1953 | Writer, illustrator | |
Ugo Betti | Italy | 1892 | 1953 | Playwright, judge | The Fugitive |
Henrik Bull | Norway | 1864 | 1953 | Architect | National Theatre |
Ivan Bunin | Russia | 1892 | 1953 | Writer | List of short stories by Ivan Bunin, List of poems by Ivan Bunin |
John Horne Burns | United States | 1916 | 1953 | Writer | The Gallery |
Rosario Candela | United States | 1890 | 1953 | Architect | 740 Park Avenue |
Harold Cazneaux | Australia | 1878 | 1953 | Photographer | Cazneaux Tree |
Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla | Pakistan | 1902 | 1953 | Composer | "Qaumi Taranah" |
Albert Coates | United Kingdom | 1882 | 1953 | Composer, conductor | |
Ruth Crawford Seeger | United States | 1901 | 1953 | Composer | String Quartet 1931 |
Peter DeRose | United States | 1896 | 1953 | Composer | "Deep Purple" |
Raoul Dufy | France | 1877 | 1953 | Painter | |
Edmund Dulac | France | 1882 | 1953 | Illustrator | |
Jean Epstein | France | 1897 | 1953 | Film director | The Fall of the House of Usher |
Georges Le Faure | France | 1856 | 1953 | Writer | |
Emil Filla | Czech Republic | 1882 | 1953 | Painter | |
Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński | Poland | 1905 | 1953 | Poet | Skumbrie w tomacie |
Albert Gleizes | France | 1881 | 1953 | Painter, writer | List of works by Albert Gleizes |
Milt Gross | United States | 1895 | 1953 | Cartoonist | |
Guccio Gucci | Italy | 1881 | 1953 | Fashion designer | |
Sophia Hayden | United States | 1868 | 1953 | Architect | The Woman's Building |
Mary Brewster Hazelton | United States | 1868 | 1953 | Painter | |
Cecil Hepworth | United Kingdom | 1874 | 1953 | Film director, producer | Alice in Wonderland (1903 film) |
Tatsuo Hori | Japan | 1904 | 1953 | Writer | The Wind Has Risen |
Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa | Sri Lanka | 1875 | 1953 | Writer | Art as a factor in the soul's evolution |
Joseph Jongen | Belgium | 1873 | 1953 | Composer | Mass, Op. 130 |
Emmerich Kálmán | Hungary | 1882 | 1953 | Composer | Die Csárdásfürstin |
Thiru. V. Kalyanasundaram | India | 1883 | 1953 | Writer | |
Fritz Kirchhoff | Germany | 1901 | 1953 | Film director | Attack on Baku |
Moïse Kisling | France | 1891 | 1953 | Painter | |
Eduard Künneke | Germany | 1885 | 1953 | Composer | The Cousin from Nowhere |
Jorge de Lima | Brazil | 1893 | 1953 | Politician, writer | |
Will Longstaff | Australia | 1879 | 1953 | Painter | Menin Gate at Midnight |
Oskar Luts | Estonia | 1887 | 1953 | Writer, playwright | |
Kornel Makuszyński | Poland | 1884 | 1953 | Writer | Koziołek Matołek |
Herman J. Mankiewicz | United States | 1897 | 1953 | Screenwriter | Citizen Kane |
Emmanuel de Margerie | France | 1862 | 1953 | Geographer | |
John Marin | United States | 1870 | 1953 | Painter | |
Daniel Gregory Mason | United States | 1873 | 1953 | Composer, music critic | |
Erich Mendelsohn | Germany | 1887 | 1953 | Architect | List of works by Erich Mendelsohn |
Moses Milner | Russia | 1886 | 1953 | Composer | |
Mime Misu | Romania | 1886 | 1953 | Dancer, film director | In Nacht und Eis, Das Mirakel |
Vera Mukhina | Soviet Union | 1889 | 1953 | Sculptor, painter | Worker and Kolkhoz Woman |
Sulaiman Nadvi | Pakistan | 1884 | 1953 | Writer | Khutbat-e-madras |
Ibrahim Nagi | Egypt | 1889 | 1953 | Poet | "Al-Atlal" |
Francesco Saverio Nitti | Italy | 1868 | 1953 | Politician | |
Hisato Ohzawa | Japan | 1907 | 1953 | Composer | Piano Concerto No. 3 |
Eugene O'Neill | United States | 1888 | 1953 | Playwright | Long Day's Journey into Night |
Francis Picabia | France | 1879 | 1953 | Painter | List of works by Francis Picabia |
Joseph Pinchon | France | 1871 | 1953 | Illustrator | Bécassine |
Uroš Predić | Serbia | 1857 | 1953 | Painter | Happy Brothers |
Alice Prin | France | 1879 | 1953 | Model, painter, writer | Kiki's Memoirs |
Sergei Prokofiev | Russia | 1891 | 1953 | Composer, conductor | List of compositions by Sergei Prokofiev |
Vsevolod Pudovkin | Russia | 1893 | 1953 | Film director, screenwriter | |
Roger Quilter | United Kingdom | 1877 | 1953 | Composer | Arnold Book of Old Songs |
Rachilde | France | 1860 | 1953 | Writer | Monsieur Vénus |
Graciliano Ramos | Brazil | 1892 | 1953 | Writer, translator | Vidas secas |
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings | United States | 1896 | 1953 | Author | The Yearling |
Django Reinhardt | France | 1910 | 1953 | Composer, musician | |
Winold Reiss | United States | 1886 | 1953 | Painter | Winold Reiss industrial murals |
Pasquale Rizzoli | Italy | 1871 | 1953 | Sculptor | |
Ludomir Różycki | Poland | 1883 | 1953 | Composer | |
Max Sainsaulieu | France | 1870 | 1953 | Architect | Carnegie Library of Reims |
Rudolph Schindler | United States | 1887 | 1953 | Architect | Schindler House |
Edward Shanks | United Kingdom | 1892 | 1953 | Writer | Fête Galante |
Everett Shinn | United States | 1876 | 1953 | Painter | |
Joseph Stalin | Russia | 1879 | 1953 | Politician | Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR |
Vladimir Tatlin | Russia | 1885 | 1953 | Painter, architect | Tatlin's Tower |
Neyzen Tevfik | Turkey | 1879 | 1953 | Poet, satirist | |
Jérôme Tharaud | France | 1874 | 1953 | Writer | |
Dylan Thomas | United Kingdom | 1914 | 1953 | Poet | List of works by Dylan Thomas |
Totius | South Africa | 1877 | 1953 | Poet | |
Julian Tuwim | Poland | 1894 | 1953 | Poet | "Murzynek Bambo" |
Jules Van Nuffel | Belgium | 1883 | 1953 | Composer | In convertendo Dominus |
Bernard Carra de Vaux | France | 1867 | 1953 | Orientalist | |
Vydūnas | Lithuania | 1868 | 1953 | Poet | |
Erich Weinert | Germany | 1890 | 1953 | Writer | "Der heimliche Aufmarsch" |
Ben Ames Williams | United States | 1889 | 1953 | Writer | The Unconquered |
Hank Williams | United States | 1923 | 1953 | Musician | List of songs written by Hank Williams |
Arthur Wimperis | United Kingdom | 1874 | 1953 | Lyricist, screenwriter | The Arcadians, Mrs. Miniver |
Friedrich Wolf | Germany | 1888 | 1953 | Writer | Professor Mamlock |
Xu Beihong | China | 1895 | 1953 | Painter | |
Vsevolod Zaderatsky | Russia | 1891 | 1953 | Composer | |
John Stepan Zamecnik | United States | 1872 | 1953 | Composer |
In Bangladesh, India, and Venezuela a work enters the public domain 60 years after the creator's death.
Names | Country | Birth | Death | Occupation | Notable work |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Babu Gulabrai | India | 1888 | 1963 | Writer | |
Amar Nath Kak | India | 1889 | 1963 | Writer | |
Rajendra Prasad | India | 1893 | 1963 | Politician, writer | |
Acharya Shivpujan Sahay | India | 1893 | 1963 | Writer | |
Laxminarayan Sahu | India | 1890 | 1963 | Writer | |
Rahul Sankrityayan | India | 1893 | 1963 | Activist, writer | |
Anasuya Shankar | India | 1928 | 1963 | Writer | |
Hemendra Kumar Roy | India | 1888 | 1963 | Writer | |
Laudelino Mejías | Venezuela | August 1893 | 1963 | Composer |
In most countries of Africa and Asia, as well as Belarus , Bolivia and New Zealand, a work enters the public domain 50 years after the creator's death.
Names | Country | Birth | Death | Occupation | Notable work |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zainal Abidin Ahmad | Malaysia | 1895 | 1973 | Writer, linguist | |
W. H. Auden | Great Britain | 1907 | 1973 | Poet | |
Charles Brasch | New Zealand | 1909 | 1973 | Poet, editor | Landfall |
Bobby Darin | United States | 1936 | 1973 | Musician | |
Noël Coward | United Kingdom | 1899 | 1973 | Playwright | Noël Coward on stage and screen |
John Ford | United States | 1894 | 1973 | Director | John Ford filmography |
Anthony Gilbert | Great Britain | 1899 | 1973 | Writer | The Vanishing Corpse |
Lyndon B. Johnson | United States | 1908 | 1973 | Politician | |
Bruce Lee | United States | 1940 | 1973 | Martial artist | Tao of Jeet Kune Do |
Kathleen Lindsay | Great Britain | 1903 | 1973 | Writer | |
Nancy Mitford | Great Britain | 1904 | 1973 | Writer | The Pursuit of Love |
Pablo Neruda | Chile | 1904 | 1973 | Poet | Canto General, Oda al Gato |
Robert C. O'Brien | United States | 1918 | 1973 | Writer | Z for Zachariah |
Gram Parsons | United States | 1946 | 1973 | Musician | |
Isabel Peacocke | New Zealand | 1881 | 1973 | Writer | Cathleen with a 'C' |
Pablo Picasso | Spain | 1881 | 1973 | Painter | Guernica, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon |
William Plomer | South Africa | 1903 | 1973 | Writer | |
Allan Sherman | United States | 1924 | 1973 | Comedian | "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)" |
J. R. R. Tolkien | United Kingdom | 1892 | 1973 | Writer | J. R. R. Tolkien bibliography |
Valentin Tomberg | Russian Empire | 1900 | 1973 | Mystic | Meditations on the Tarot |
Alan Watts | United Kingdom | 1915 | 1973 | Philosopher | Alan Watts bibliography |
Spain has a copyright term of life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987. In Colombia and Equatorial Guinea a work enters the public domain 80 years after the creator's death.
Names | Country | Birth | Death | Occupation | Notable work |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carlos Arniches | Spain | 1866 | 1943 | Playwright | |
Carmen Karr | Spain | 1865 | 1943 | Activist, composer | |
Francisco Rodríguez Marín | Spain | 1855 | 1943 | Poet | |
José Jurado de la Parra | Spain | 1856 | 1943 | Poet, playwright | |
Guillermo Valencia | Colombia | 1873 | 1943 | Poet, translator |
In 2004 copyright in Australia changed from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, in line with the United States and the European Union. But the change was not made retroactive (unlike the 1995 change in the European Union which brought some e.g. British authors back into copyright, especially those who died from 1925 to 1944). Hence the work of an author who died before 1955 is normally in the public domain in Australia; but the copyright of authors was extended to 70 years after death for those who died in 1955 or later, and no more Australian authors will come out of copyright until 1 January 2026 (those who died in 1955).[1]
Similarly, Canada amended its Copyright Act in 2022 from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, coming into force on December 30, 2022, but not reviving expired copyright.[2][3] No more new authors will come out of copyright in Canada until 1 January 2043 (those who died in 1972). Crown copyright was not changed, thus works published in 1973 entered the public domain in 2024.[4]
Sound recordings that were published in 1923 entered the public domain.[5]
Under the Copyright Term Extension Act, books published in 1928, films released in 1928, and other works published in 1928, entered the public domain in 2024.[7] Unpublished works whose authors died in 1953 entered the public domain.
The earliest incarnation of Mickey Mouse as well as Minnie Mouse entered the public domain work in 2024 through Steamboat Willie and the silent versions of Plane Crazy and The Gallopin' Gaucho. The sound versions of the latter two shorts will enter the public domain in 2025.[8] The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne, including the character Tigger, entered the public domain in 2024. Notable films which entered the public domain in the United States include Abie's Irish Rose, Charlie Chaplin's The Circus, Buster Keaton's The Cameraman, In Old Arizona, The Man Who Laughs, Noah's Ark, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Lights of New York, The Singing Fool, and Harold Lloyd's final silent feature Speedy.
Additional notable works which entered the public domain in the United States include Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence, Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf, The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall, Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág, Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh, The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie, Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille, The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht, and An American in Paris by George Gershwin.
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024 in public domain.
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