Films, music and books created in the United States are protected by copyright law. But copyrights eventually expire, and when they do, these works enter the “public domain”.
The public domain means that anyone is free to share these works – or create derivative works based on the original works without the original author. For example, anyone can write a Frankenstein story in 2022 because the original novel is now in the public domain. However, you can't just copy Universal's version of Frankenstein from the movie.
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Each new year brings new titles into the public domain, as chronicled by Duke University's Center for the Study of the Public Domain. So, as 2022 dawns, they have a long list of notable works of art that have now fallen into the public domain.
Highlights, according to their website, include “Winnie the Pooh” by AA Milne, “Bambi” by Felix Salten, “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway, “The Weary Blues” by Langston Hughes and “Enough Rope” by Dorothy Parker.
There are dozens of silent films, including titles featuring Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Greta Garbo, famous Broadway songs and well-known jazz standards that are now in the public domain. You can find much more detail in the full list of new additions to the public domain on their website.
Before you create your own Winnie the Pooh animated movie, though, be aware: although the original AA Pooh story Milne may not be in the public domain, the 1977 Disney film – along with the visuals and depictions of the characters are protected.
If you, for example, made a Pooh cartoon starring a Pooh in a red shirt and no pants, who looked like the version of the bear voiced by Jim Cummings, Disney could (and probably would) sue him for copyright infringement copyright.
Even titles and characters that are indisputably in the public domain have become the subject of major copyright lawsuits in recent years. For example, the first Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle belong to the domain public, but in 2020 Conan Doyle's estate filed a lawsuit against Netflix for its film Enola Holmes.
The process ended up being filed with prejudice by stipulation of all parties. (Which means it's likely been resolved, but those details haven't been released.) Once again, it all gets really complicated.