Iconic Works Enter Public Domain in 2025

On January 1, 2025, numerous artistic works, including literary classics and iconic characters like Popeye and Tintin, will enter the public domain in the United States, allowing anyone to copy, share, and adapt them without permission. Key literary works losing copyright include Ernest Hemingway's 'A Farewell to Arms' and William Faulkner's 'The Sound and the Fury'. Additionally, significant films such as Alfred Hitchcock's 'Blackmail' and musical compositions like Maurice Ravel's 'Bolero' from 1929 will also become copyright-free. The Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke University compiles a list of these works each year. While Popeye will be freely available, only the original version of Tintin, appearing in 'Tintin in the Country of the Soviets', will be public domain in the U.S., as other iterations remain protected by rights holders. This change marks a notable moment for cultural heritage, following the recent entry of characters like Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh into the public domain.