History Main / PublicDomainCharacter

[[folder: Literature]]

** As for the US, the PD date for works from his lifetime depends on the date of publication. His first novel, ''Literature/ThisSideOfParadise'', went PD in 2016, followed by ''Literature/TheBeautifulAndDamned'' as well as his first two short story collections in 2018 and ''Literature/TheGreatGatsby'' in 2021. ''Literature/TenderIsTheNight'' will have to wait until 2030.

*** Much like Oswald, Mickey and Minnie's post-1928 designs (save for that in the unofficial short ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouseInVietnam'' (1969)[[note]]''WesternAnimation/TheMadDoctor'' and the WesternAnimation/MiscellaneousDisneyShorts ''[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_the_Frying_Pan_into_the_Firing_Line Out of the Frying Pan into the Firing Line]]'' and ''[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Together_(1942_film) All Together]]'', while being another shorts in public domain despite being post-1928, cannot be included as Mickey there has elements on his design that aren't PD yet, along with WesternAnimation/{{Pluto|ThePup}} and... practically ''a lot'' of characters from the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon, in the latter short, meaning that only Dr. XXX is safe, as mentioned above[[/note]], obviously due to being unauthorized[[note]]The music is still under copyright save for the ending of the short, which includes Music/HectorBerlioz's "Requiem, Op. 5: Sanctus"[[/note]]) and voices are still the copyright of {{Creator/Disney}} until those copyrights expire 96 years after publication.

*** Much like Oswald, Mickey and Minnie's post-1928 designs (save for that in the unofficial short ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouseInVietnam'' (1969)[[note]]''WesternAnimation/TheMadDoctor'', while being another short in public domain despite being post-1928, cannot be included as Mickey there has a few aspects of on his design that aren't PD yet (the more recognizable "roundness"), along with WesternAnimation/{{Pluto|ThePup}}, meaning that only Dr. XXX, the eponymous MadDoctor, is safe, as mentioned above[[/note]], obviously due to being unauthorized[[note]]The music is still under copyright save for the ending of the short, which includes Music/HectorBerlioz's "Requiem, Op. 5: Sanctus"[[/note]]) and voices are still the copyright of {{Creator/Disney}} until those copyrights expire 96 years after publication.

* ''Literature/TheSecretGarden'': Which is why there have been so many movie versions since 1995 (when the work became PD in the EU except Spain; parts of it became PD in the US in 1986 and the rest in 1987).[[note]]''The Secret Garden'' was first published as a magazine serial in the autumn of 1910, with installments continuing into 1911. Its book form was first published in both the US and UK in 1911.[[/note]]

* Literature/{{Babar}} is in the public domain in most countries except the United States, Peru and Brazil, as author and illustrator Jean de Brunhoff died in 1937. In the latter two countries, the book series will enter the public domain after the last of his sons dies. Eldest son Laurent de Brunhoff took over the series after his father died, and was still alive as of 2024.

** Likewise, the first nine books plus the first short story collection of Burroughs' most famous creation, Franchise/{{Tarzan}}, are public domain in the United States; however, Disney has tried to claim trademark rights, at least in Denmark. [[http://www.erblist.com/erbmania/trademark.html The Burroughs corporation beat them to it]]. The Burroughs estate also co-owns the copyright in [[WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}} the Disney Tarzan film]].

* ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'', as long as only material from the first 21 books of [[Literature/LandOfOz the series]] (published in 1928 or earlier), plus a few later books whose copyrights were not renewed, is used. (Thankfully, this includes all the Baum books.)

** GOSH claims that the play will not enter the US PD until 2024. While the play was originally published in the UK in 1904, it didn't get its first US performance until 1928. The hospital acknowledges that the novel (first published in 1911) is PD in the States.

** Literature/AnnabelleLee

* Literature/{{Babar}} is in the public domain in most countries except the United States and Brazil, as author and illustrator Jean de Brunhoff died in 1937. In Brazil's case, the book series will enter the public domain after the last of his sons dies. Eldest son Laurent de Brunhoff took over the series after his father died, and was still alive as of 2024.

** WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse and WesternAnimation/MinnieMouse entered United States public domain on January 1st, 2024, as ''WesternAnimation/SteamboatWillie'' and the silent versions of ''WesternAnimation/PlaneCrazy'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheGallopinGaucho'' [[note]] the copyrights for their audio versions say 1929, so the audio will still be copyrighted until 2025. The story and visuals are the only things in those shorts that are in the Public Domain right now. [[/note]] are now in the public domain. Disney didn't attempt to extend the copyright anymore. Disney still owns the trademark, so while you might be able to use Mickey and Minnie in your own copyrighted work, using them as a trademark that creates customer confusion would get you sued by Disney's lawyers. [[{{WritingAroundTrademarks}} Best to just call them Mickey and Minnie and use "Mouse" separately instead of their full names (aka their trademarked brand names) just to be on the safe side]] (you can still say that "Mouse" is the couple's last names, though).

* ''WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat'' is in the public domain, but you can only use elements from his iterations of MediaNotes/TheSilentAgeOfAnimation and Creator/VanBeurenStudios shorts. Elements introduced in later years, such as his magic bag or the vast majority of his supporting cast wil still be copyrighted until those copyrights expire 96 years after publication. You can't also refer to him as "Felix The Cat" as his name is trademarked by Creator/DreamWorksAnimation[=/=]Creator/{{Universal}} Studios.

** [[Theatre/SevenAgainstThebes The Seven Against Thebes]]: Polynices, Tydeus, Amphiaraus, Capaneus, Parthenopaeus, Hippomedon and Eteocles along with Adrastus.

** UsefulNotes/{{TheVirginMary}}

** UsefulNotes/{{Sinterklaas}}

* All of the cartoons created by Creator/VanBeurenStudios are public domain, as are all the characters they created (with the exception of pre-existing characters they had licensed, such as Otto Soglow's ''Little King'') are public domain, as the studio abruptly went belly-up in 1936, and nobody bothered to claim ownership of their library or characters. Their ''Tom & Jerry'' characters do run into a hiccup, as a [[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry more famous cartoon duo bearing the same name]] had surfaced a few years after the studio's demise, forcing home movie reissues of their cartoons to [[AdaptationalNameChange rename the characters Dick & Larry.]] Even Thunderbeans' complete DVD rerelease of the cartoons had to distinguish them as "Van Beuren's Tom & Jerry" to prevent people from confusing them with the cat and mouse duo.

* WesternAnimationb/DinkyDoodle

** Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse entered United States public domain on January 1st, 2024, as ''WesternAnimation/SteamboatWillie'' and the silent versions of ''WesternAnimation/PlaneCrazy'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheGallopinGaucho'' [[note]] the copyrights for their audio versions say 1929, so the audio will still be copyrighted until 2025. The story and visuals are the only things in those shorts that are in the Public Domain right now. [[/note]] are now in the public domain. Disney didn't attempt to extend the copyright anymore. Disney still owns the trademark, so while you might be able to use Mickey and Minnie in your own copyrighted work, using them as a trademark that creates customer confusion would get you sued by Disney's lawyers. [[{{WritingAroundTrademarks}} Best to just call them Mickey and Minnie and use "Mouse" separately instead of their full names (aka their trademarked brand names) just to be on the safe side]] (you can still say that "Mouse" is the couple's last names, though).