Summary

As of 2025, works from 1929, including early versions of Popeye and Tintin, have entered the public domain in the U.S., allowing free reuse and adaptation.

Iconic works now public include The Skeleton Dance (Disney’s Silly Symphonies), Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail, William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials Mystery, and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own.

However, Tintin remains under copyright in the EU until 2054.

This follows recent public domain entries like Steamboat Willie-era Mickey Mouse in 2024, with Betty Boop and Pluto set to join in 2026.