Public Domain Day is Almost Here!

January 1, 2019 is Public Domain Day in the United States! On this date, works published in 1923 will be available to use freely. View a list of popular works that will enter the public domain in 2019. The Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain reports that the 2019 batch of works will be the first to enter the public domain in twenty years, due to a 1998 copyright extension.
When a work enters the public domain, it is free to use, reuse and monetize. While some works start in the public domain, most will only enter the public domain after their copyright expires. We’re excited about Public Domain Day and the public domain, because more work can be shared, reused and promoted.  It’s exciting to see the new work that will result from remixing public domain work!
If you’d like to learn more about copyright and the public domain, please visit the Libraries’ copyright information page or contact the Scholarly Communication Officer, Anne Gilliland.  Anne’s public domain workshop notes also informed this post.