Here are the significant books, films and characters joining the list of works in the public domain on Jan. 1, 2026.

Fans of the 1930s character Betty Boop can rejoice as a precursor of the iconic cartoon is now in the public domain, as of ...

In a kind of copyright twofer, a film called “Cimarron,” and the book it was based on, are now in the public domain. The film ...

Nancy Drew, Betty Boop and the first version of what would become Pluto are among the countless creative works entering the public domain as their copyrights expire on New Year's Day.

Many people are purchasing e-readers, tablets, and smartphones with the intention of amassing a large collection of ebooks. Not everyone can afford to purchase books from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or ...

From Betty Boop to The Maltese Falcon, iconic 1930 works are now public domain, free to share, remix, and reuse.

The works entering the public domain also include “All Quiet on the Western Front,” William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying” and ...

There are several properties becoming public domain when 2026 begins, including four seminal mystery novels from 1930.