public domain

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Italy's Quest to Protect Its Art Compared to 'a Land Grab'

Cultural code enforcement targets reproductions of iconic works in the public domain

(Newser) - For years, German toy maker Ravensburger has been decorating puzzles with Leonardo Da Vinci's iconic Vitruvian Man drawing. Under European law, copyright protections extend 70 years after the death of an artist, meaning Vitruvian Man has been in the public domain for centuries since Da Vinci's 1519 death....

Mickey Mouse Enters Public Domain, Quickly Turns Evil

'Steamboat Willie' character gets horror film treatment

(Newser) - It's officially 2024, which means Disney's Mickey Mouse, as he originally appeared in 1928, has entered the public domain . And as was probably to be expected following 2023's slasher version of Winnie the Pooh , the character has already been turned into a cold-blooded killer via meme , video...

Mickey, Minnie, Tigger Will Soon Be Out of Copyright

But only the earliest version of Mickey Mouse will be public domain on Jan. 1

(Newser) - M-I-C-K-E-Y will soon belong to you and me. With several asterisks, qualifications, and caveats, Mickey Mouse in his earliest form will be the leader of the band of characters, films, and books that will become public domain as the year turns to 2024. In a moment many close observers thought...

This Isn't Your Mother's Winnie the Pooh
This Isn't Your Mother's
Winnie the Pooh
MOVIE TRAILER
Sep 2, 2022 10:02 AM CDT

This Isn't Your Mother's Winnie the Pooh

Public domain rules allow for this gory adaptation

(Newser) - This is why you should always read the reviews carefully before taking your kids to the theater. The trailer for a new Winnie the Pooh movie, based on the lovable bear created by UK author AA Milne, dropped Wednesday. But in this nearly two-minute sneak peek at Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and ...

Great Gatsby Now Belongs to Everyone

It's among works from 1925 that have entered the public domain this year

(Newser) - The new year brings a new list of books, movies, and music that enter the public domain, meaning their copyright protections expire. In this case, works from 1925 are those losing their protection, and NPR notes that the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald highlights the list. The Verge takes...

Court Keeps This Land Is Your Land Out of Public Domain

Group challenged copyright after having to pay $45.50 to record Woody Guthrie's song

(Newser) - This Land Is Your Land, the folk anthem written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 and sung at political rallies and around campfires for decades, is staying out of the public domain. A federal judge made the ruling in a copyright challenge by a musical group that had to pay $45....

For First Time in Digital Age, a Copyright Bonanza Is Here

Thousands of works from 1923 about to enter the public domain

(Newser) - Next Tuesday isn't just New Year's Day, it's also Public Domain Day. If the term isn't familiar, it's because the US hasn't had one in two decades. On Jan. 1, thousands of published works from 1923 will enter the public domain, freeing them up...

'Happy Birthday' May Finally Belong to All

Warner Music agrees to pay $14M in proposed settlement

(Newser) - "Happy Birthday to You" will finally be in the public domain if a proposed settlement is approved. Warner Music has announced it won't fight a move to make rights to the song public and will spend $14 million to end a class-action lawsuit in search of royalties paid...

NY Library Gives Internet Free Rein Over 180K Items

'No permission required, no hoops to jump through'

(Newser) - "Menus for long-ago eaten banquets, postcards featuring buildings that no longer exist, gorgeous maps and engravings, yellowed photographs, elegant sheet music." Those are just a few of the Atlantic's favorite things contained inside a massive release of materials into the public domain courtesy of the New York...

Sherlock Holmes in Public Domain, Says Judge

Or at least, all his stories from before 1923

(Newser) - Are you dying to share your Sherlock Holmes fanfic with the world? Well, that's just become (sorry, we have to do this by law), elementary, my dear reader. A federal judge has ruled that Holmes, Watson, and all 50 stories they appeared in before Jan. 1, 1923, are now...

1920s Mickey May Be Public Domain

Ex-researcher, law student raise questions that anger Disney lawyers

(Newser) - A trio of unlikely challengers has angered Walt Disney Co. by arguing that an early version of Mickey Mouse is no longer copyright-protected, the Los Angeles Times reports. Disney has won a $500,000 lawsuit against ex-employee Gregory Brown, who uncovered old film credits that he says invalidate Disney's claim...

11 Stories