What Gets Released on Public Domain Day 2026

Every January 1, a small but meaningful shift happens in our culture. Works that were once protected by copyright become free for anyone to use.

This moment is called Public Domain Day, and in 2026 it brings a surprising number of creative works back into shared ownership.

On January 1, 2026, most works published in 1930 will enter the public domain in the United States. Sound recordings from 1925 will also become free to use. No permissions. No licensing. No gatekeepers.

What Becomes Free

This year’s group is especially interesting. It includes well-known books, characters, music, and films that still feel alive today.

William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying enters the public domain, along with Agatha Christie’s first Miss Marple mystery and the earliest Nancy Drew books. Early versions of Betty Boop and Pluto become free to reuse. Classic films starring the Marx Brothers, Marlene Dietrich, and Greta Garbo are included. Popular songs like Georgia on My Mind and Dream a Little Dream of Me are also part of the list.

These are not forgotten works. They are stories and ideas that still shape how we think and create.

Why Does it Matter?

When something enters the public domain, it becomes available to everyone. Books can be republished without cost. Artists can remix or reinterpret older work. Teachers and students can share material freely. Filmmakers and designers can build on familiar characters without legal risk.

Much of what we love today exists because earlier creators had access to the public domain. Shakespeare reused old stories. Disney built its earliest films from public domain fairy tales. Creativity has always depended on shared material.

A Quiet but Important Day

Public Domain Day does not come with celebrations or announcements. Most people never notice it. But every year, it quietly adds more culture back into the public space.

Public Domain Day 2026 is not about looking backward. It is about giving old work a future. Once a year, a small door opens, and what steps through it belongs to all of us.

Read more on Public Domain Day 2026.