History Main / PublicDomainCharacter

*** Much like Oswald, Mickey and Minnie's post-1928 designs (save for those in ''[[https://archive.org/details/mickeys-follies-redrawn-and-colorized Mickey's Follies]]'' (1930), whose copyright expired in the 1950s, as copyright terms at that time required manual renewals of intellectual property) 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 those in ''Mickey's Follies'' (1930), whose copyright expired in the 1950s, as copyright terms at that time required manual renewals of intellectual property) and voices are still the copyright of {{Creator/Disney}} until those copyrights expire 96 years after publication.

** 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 instead of their full names (aka their trademarked brand names) just to be on the safe side.]]

** 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 instead of their full names (aka their trademarked brand names) just to be on the safe side.]]

** Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse entered United States public domain on January 1st, 2024, as both ''WesternAnimation/SteamboatWillie'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheGallopinGaucho'' 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.

* WebOriginal/JennyEverywhere

*** Much like Oswald, Mickey and Minnie's post-1928 designs (save for those in ''Mickey's Follies'' (1930) and ''WesternAnimation/TheMadDoctor'' (1933), whose copyrights expired in the 1950s, as copyright terms at that time required manual renewals of intellectual property) 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 ''Mickey's Follies'' (1930) and ''WesternAnimation/TheMadDoctor'' (1933), whose copyrights expired in the 1950s, as copyright terms at that time required manual renewals of intellectual property) and voices are still the copyright of {{Creator/Disney}} until those copyrights expire 96 years after publication.

This reversal of extending copyrights can be traced to, at least for U.S. copyright laws, something that was just becoming part of everyday reality in 1998 when the Sonny Bono Act was passed: the Internet. With now almost any work of literature, TV, film, or music now available to download legally or illegally, trying to keep an iron grip on copyrighted works and characters has become near-pointless. To address this, many companies have set up streaming services and places to legally download works, usually with incentives in place to make it more appealing to the consumer like extras included before only found on [=DVDs=], higher picture quality for shows and movies, and offering a whole ''library'' of works on streaming services for a monthly rate instead of having to pay per download. Even Disney, the juggernaut that has often been responsible for copyright extension, has developed an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude. They have now included many early cartoons for anyone to watch on their [=YouTube=] channel including, you guessed it, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBgghnQF6E4 Steamboat Willie.]]

** Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse entered United States public domain on January 1st, 2024, as both WesternAnimation/SteamboatWillie and WesternAnimation/TheGallopinGaucho 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.
*** Much like Oswald, Mickey and Minnie's post-1928 designs and voices are still the copyright of {{Creator/Disney}} until those copyrights expire 96 years after publication.
* Characters from the WesternAnimation/SupermanTheatricalCartoons that didn't come from Creator/DCComics, such as WesternAnimation/TheMadScientist and the Metal Monsters.

Under U.S. law, works first published before 1928 are no longer subject to copyright. Before the 1970s, copyright was not automatic in the United States and most other countries, and it was possible for a copyright to lapse if not registered or renewed in a timely manner, so certain later works are public domain as well. In Europe, the rule is that the author has to have been dead for 70 years[[note]]with the exception of Spain, which has a copyright term of life plus 80 years for creators that died before 1987[[/note]]. The longest copyright term in the world is that of Mexico, in which since 2003, works do not enter the public domain until the author has been dead for ''100 years''[[note]]which is not retroactive; any author who died before 1952 is already in the public domain[[/note]]. Under the Berne Convention, work-for-hire has a copyright term of 100 years from the date of publication. Additionally, the copyright holder may choose to release it prematurely into the PublicDomain.

* Literature/ArseneLupin in all countries outside the US, as author Maurice Leblanc died in 1941.[[note]]The last countries in which Lupin entered the PD were Colombia, Equatorial Guinea, and Spain; the first two use "life plus 80", and Spain did until it went to "life plus 70" in 1987. Jamaica adopted "life plus 95" in 2015, making that law retroactive to January 1962 (its year of independence). However, because the previous term was "life plus 50", any author who died before 1962 is PD there. As noted earlier, Mexico did not make its sequential extensions of copyright retroactive.[[/note]] In the US, any element of the series introduced before 1928.

* {{Franchise/Cthulhu|Mythos}}, {{Literature/Herbert West|Reanimator}}, and many other characters of [[Creator/HPLovecraft H.P. Lovecraft]]. Outside of the United States all his works are public domain, but his later works (after 1928) are in a grey area in the United States, where it's not known for sure if his stories were published with copywrite notice, and if they were whether they were renewed or not.[[note]]Lovecraft biographer S. T. Joshi believes that the copyright passed to his aunt upon death, and then to her grandchildren, who did not renew it. For what it's worth, Lovecraft himself was of the mind that anybody who wished to add to his mythos was encouraged to do so, which in part is how his work became so widely known in the first place[[/note]]

* Literature/FuManchu, in countries where the copyright term is "Life plus 60" or lower, plus any countries where the work of creators who died before 1960 is PD.[[note]]These two sets don't completely overlap. For example, while the current term in Canada and Japan is life plus 70, it had been life plus 50 before 2018 in Japan and 2022 in Canada. Since the series author Sax Rohmer died in 1959, his works entered the Canadian and Japanese PD in 2010.[[/note]] In the US, any element of the series introduced before 1928. See the "Other public domain characters: Literature" folder for more details.

* {{Literature/John Carter|OfMars}} in countries with life plus 70 or lower, plus any countries where the work of creators who died before 1951 is PD.[[note]]Most notably Mexico; while it now has life plus 100, it used life plus 30 before 1982 and didn't make any of its later term extensions retroactive.[[/note]] In the US, any element of the series introduced before 1928. However, not PD yet in Spain, which was "life plus 80" until 1987; since Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs died in 1950, his works won't be PD there until 2031.

* Literature/SitioDoPicapauAmarelo, in countries with life plus 70 or lower, as the author died in 1948. Also PD in countries where the work of authors who died before 1949 is PD.[[note]]Most notably Mexico, whose sequential extensions of copyright from life plus 30 to life plus 100 were not made retroactive.[[/note]] In the US, any element of the series introduced before 1928.
* DerivativeWorks/{{Zorro}}, in countries with life plus 60 or lower, plus any countries where the work of creators who died before 1959 is PD. (Among these: Canada, Japan, and NZ.) In the US, any element of the series introduced before 1928. See "Other public domain characters: Literature".

** On the other hand, Popeye's love interest Olive Oyl, also created by Segar for ''Thimble Theatre'', entered the public domain in the US in 1995 -- 14 years (24 in Spain) before she entered the public domain in Europe. She debuted with the comic strip in December 1919, a little more than 9 years before the Popeye character. Under US copyright law at that time, copyrights lasted a maximum of 75 years, whether or not they were works for hire. Although the US later passed a copyright term extension, it specifically refused to restore copyright for works whose terms had ended. That being said, however, only pre-1928 elements of Olive Oyl are public domain in the US.

* Creator/HPLovecraft: Several of his characters, including Literature/{{Herbert West|Reanimator}} and Randolph Carter. Additionally, Lovecraft actually encouraged other writers to use the Franchise/CthulhuMythos in other works, thus making the mythos in general, and such characters as Cthulhu and Yog-Sothoth, essentially in the public domain. ''All'' of Lovecraft's works became public domain in the European Union except Spain on January 1, 2008; Spain followed 10 years later. Due to differing copyright laws, only 34 of his 65 works of fiction (those published before 1928) are undeniably public domain in the United States.

** All of Pooh's friends are in the public domain in the US except Tigger (who made his debut in 1928), and Disney's {{Canon Foreigner}}s Gopher and Lumpy.

** Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are set to enter the United States public domain on January 1st, 2024, as both WesternAnimation/SteamboatWillie and WesternAnimation/TheGallopinGaucho will be in the public domain on that date. 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 (i.e.. using Mickey's face to sell your product) would get you sued by Disney's lawyers.
*** Much like Oswald, Mickey and Minnie's post-1928 designs and voices will still be the copyright of {{Creator/Disney}} until those copyrights expire 96 years after publication.

* Franchise/{{Zorro}}, in countries with life plus 60 or lower, plus any countries where the work of creators who died before 1959 is PD. (Among these: Canada, Japan, and NZ.) In the US, any element of the series introduced before 1928. See "Other public domain characters: Literature".

* Franchise/{{Zorro}} ''should'' be public domain in the US, since his first story was 1919 and he appeared in a silent film in 1920, but in 2005 Sony sent a cease-and-desist to a company, Sobini, which wanted to make a Zorro movie. Sobini sued Sony in 2005 to try to get a decision that Sobini could use the character, but the outcome of this suit, if any, remains unreported. What news can be found is confusing and contradictory (such as news articles claiming that Sobini "acquired the rights" to the public domain 1919 story).

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' uses a number of characters from {{Picaresque}} fiction as the main characters' [[FightingSpirit Personas]], including Literature/ArseneLupin, Franchise/{{Zorro}}, Myth/RobinHood, and Theatre/{{Carmen}}.

* DerivativeWorks/{{Zorro}}, in countries with life plus 60 or lower, plus any countries where the work of creators who died before 1959 is PD. (Among these: Canada, Japan, and NZ.) In the US, any element of the series introduced before 1928. See "Other public domain characters: Literature".

* DerivativeWorks/{{Zorro}} ''should'' be public domain in the US, since his first story was 1919 and he appeared in a silent film in 1920, but in 2005 Sony sent a cease-and-desist to a company, Sobini, which wanted to make a Zorro movie. Sobini sued Sony in 2005 to try to get a decision that Sobini could use the character, but the outcome of this suit, if any, remains unreported. What news can be found is confusing and contradictory (such as news articles claiming that Sobini "acquired the rights" to the public domain 1919 story).

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' uses a number of characters from {{Picaresque}} fiction as the main characters' [[FightingSpirit Personas]], including Literature/ArseneLupin, DerivativeWorks/{{Zorro}}, Myth/RobinHood, and Theatre/{{Carmen}}.

* {{Franchise/Cthulhu|Mythos}}

A distinction should be made between public domain ''characters'' and public domain ''works''; WesternAnimation/BugsBunny is a trademarked character and ''not'' in the public domain, but his earliest individual cartoons are.

** Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are set to enter the United States public domain on January 1st, 2024, as both WesternAnimation/SteamboatWillie and WesternAnimation/TheGallopinGaucho will be in the public domain on that date. Disney tried to avert it in court, but couldn’t get any more extensions. But it’s Disney and Mickey is still largely protected, so…it’s complicated.

** Kratos, not the one from the popular [[VideoGame/GodofWar video game franchise]] however.

** The Olympian Gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, Hestia and Dionysus as well as their Roman Counterparts

** The Gods of the {{Literature/Theogony}}: Cronus, Gaia, Ouranos/Uranus, Rhea, Etc.

** Freya

* {{Literature/Zorro}}, in countries with life plus 60 or lower, plus any countries where the work of creators who died before 1959 is PD. (Among these: Canada, Japan, and NZ.) In the US, any element of the series introduced before 1928. See "Other public domain characters: Literature".

* Franchise/{{Zorro}} ''should'' be public domain in the US, since his first story was 1919 and he appeared in a silent film in 1920, but in 2005 Sony sent a cease-and-desist to a company, Sobini, which wanted to make a Zorro movie. Sobini sued Sony in 2005 to try to get a decision that Sobini could use the character, but the outcome of this suit, if any, remains unreported. What news can be found is confusing and contradictory (such as news articles claiming that Sobini "acquired the rights" to the public domain 1919 story).

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' uses a number of characters from {{Picaresque}} fiction as the main characters' [[FightingSpirit Personas]], including Literature/ArseneLupin, Franchise/{{Zorro}}, Myth/RobinHood, and Theatre/{{Carmen}}.

See also PublicDomainArtifact for when this trope is focused on different artifacts and objects also under Public Domain, and PublicDomainCanonWelding when this is done with entire settings.

* Franchise/{{Mulan}}

* The various Cryptids of the world: {{Bigfoot|SasquartchAntYeti}}, {{Chupacabra}}, TheFlatwoodsMonster, JerseyDevil, TheMothman, Ropin, Yeti, Etc.

* The various Cryptids of the world: {{Bigfoot}}, {{Chupacabra}}, TheFlatWoodsMonster, JerseyDevil TheMothman, Ropin, Yeti, Etc.

* Franchise/SweeneyTodd

* The Buddha

* {{Myth/Robin Hood}} and his Merry Men

** The Æsir, the Vanir and the Jötunn

** ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' pulls a few characters from the Abrahamic Mythologies most notably [[{{ComicBook/Lucifer}} Lucifer Morningstar]] and his various spin-offs.

* {{VideoGame/Hades}} uses many obscure and well known figures from Greek Mythology as it’s characters.