Wed Jan 01 06:14:55 UTC 2025: ## Thousands of Classic Works Enter Public Domain

**Durham, NC –** A treasure trove of iconic literary works, films, and musical compositions entered the US public domain on January 1st, 2024. This annual influx, resulting from the expiration of 95-year US copyright terms, makes these works freely available for public use.

This year’s additions include literary giants such as Ernest Hemingway’s *A Farewell to Arms*, William Faulkner’s *The Sound and the Fury*, and Virginia Woolf’s *A Room of One’s Own*. Film buffs can now access Alfred Hitchcock’s *Blackmail* and John Ford’s *The Black Watch*, the latter being a significant early sound film. The musical landscape expands with the inclusion of Maurice Ravel’s *Bolero* and George Gershwin’s *An American in Paris*.

Beloved cartoon characters also join the public domain, with Popeye the Sailor and Tintin now free for use. The Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke University Law School, which annually publishes a list of these works, notes that this year’s additions follow previous years which saw the release of works featuring Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh. Further works featuring Mickey Mouse, Popeye, and Tintin will enter the public domain in 2025.

Sound recordings from 1924 are also now copyright-free. The public can now copy, share, reproduce, and adapt these works without needing permission or paying royalties. The Center’s website provides a complete list for anyone interested in exploring these newly accessible cultural treasures.

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