Here’s What’s Entering the Public Domain in 2026

This year, the U.S. public domain will grow even larger, thanks to the addition of thousands of copyrighted books, iconic characters, and artistic masterpieces from 1930. As of January 1, 2026, protections have lapsed for everything from the original Betty Boop to Agatha Christie’s The Murder at the Vicarage, allowing anyone to use or build upon these works for free and without permission.

In terms of pop culture, highlights include Rover, who, in the years since his introduction in 1930, has been reimagined as Mickey Mouse’s faithful dog Pluto. Rover first appeared in Disney’s The Chain Gang as an unnamed bloodhound and later in The Picnic as Mickey’s pet, bearing a striking resemblance to Pluto with his large eyes, flopping ears, and beaming smile. Even so, the character is distinct, depicted as far less humanoid than his modern counterpart.

Much like Rover, Betty Boop’s original—but not contemporary—design has also entered the public domain. First introduced in Fleischer Studios’ Dizzy Dishes cartoon, set in a restaurant packed with anthropomorphic animals, this version of Betty boasts her familiar kiss curls, pouting lips, doe-like eyes, and flapper appearance. What distinguishes this Betty, though, is a set of elongated dog ears, a feature that was later scrapped and repurposed into the character’s signature golden hoops. Similarly, Betty’s facial expressions merge with more animalistic qualities throughout the cartoon, including her cheeks, which occasionally droop like a bulldog’s jowls.

Aside from this, renowned works of literature are also up for grabs this year. Perhaps most significant is William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, a title that popularized the Southern Gothic genre in the U.S. and beyond. Widely considered to be one of the best novels of the 20th century, As I Lay Dying employs a propulsive, stream-of-consciousness writing technique, chronicling a poor, rural family’s efforts to bury its matriarch in her hometown of Jefferson, Mississippi. Joining Faulkner’s tour-de-force is an exciting assortment of children’s books, including Watty Piper’s illustrated version of The Little Engine That Could and the first four titles in the Nancy Drew series, beginning with The Secret of the Old Clock.

Lewis Milestone’s All Quiet on the Western Front headlines the films entering the public domain this year. The movie, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, is based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque, offering a devastating account of World War I through the eyes of a young German soldier. Other films include Victor Heerman’s Animal Crackers, starring the Marx Brothers; Soup to Nuts, which starred later members of the Three Stooges; The Big Trail, for which John Wayne scored his first leading role; Alfred Hitchcock’s Murder!; and even a movie co-written by Salvador Dalí, titled L’Âge d’Or.

“Copyright gives rights to creators and their descendants that provide incentives to create,” Jennifer Jenkins, director of Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, told CBS News in a 2024 interview. “But the public domain really is the soil for future creativity.”

Sound recordings from 1925 have entered the public domain as well, encompassing a performance by civil rights activist Marian Anderson in Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen, and The St. Louis Blues recorded by Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. In 2027, protections for copyrighted works from 1931 will expire. Next year, we can look forward to Universal Pictures’ Frankenstein and Dracula films, alongside Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights, among others.

Discover more works that just entered the public domain via Duke University’s landing page for Public Domain Day 2026.