On January 1, 2024, thousands of copyrighted works from 1928 will enter the US public domain, along with sound recordings from 1923. They will be free for all to copy, share, and build upon. This year’s highlights include Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence, The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne (introducing the character of Tigger), Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie and Evelyn Waugh’s Decline and Fall. January 1, 2024 also marks the day when the cartoon Steamboat Willie – featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse – enters the public domain. The Center for the Study of the Public Domain has an interesting article on Disney’s hand in extending copyright to 95 years, and why the law is derisively known as the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act.”
