Commons:Character copyrights
Per COM:CHARACTER, all appearances of a character are covered by copyright so long as the character's first appearance is still protected by copyright, even if those appearances are in otherwise public domain works. Future appearances will give rise to their own copyrights. The following table gives the copyright information for various popular characters:
Wikimedia Commons and its servers are located in the United States and follow American copyright length, as well as the country of origin. If a work is public domain in both countries, it may be uploaded.
In the United States, older works had to have their copyrights renewed (this requirement was removed in 1992), many older works are in public domain due to lack of copyright renewal.
Green background colors indicates that a character is in public domain while flaxen colors indicates unclear copyright status (unclear for us, as of 2024).
Literature Origin
edit| Character | First appearance | Source country | Expiration | Notes | Original author/copyright owner | Renewal (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinocchio | Giornale per i bambini (1881-1882), The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) | Italy | 1920 | The original character was never copyrighted in the United States. The Disney version is copyrighted until 2036. | Carlo Collodi (d. 1890) | |
| The Sneetches | Redbook (1953) | United States | 1978 | "Dr. Seuss" (d. 1991) | ||
| Cthulhu | "The Call of Cthulhu" (1928) | United States | Despite several claims to the contrary, there is currently no evidence that any company or individual owns the copyright to any of Lovecraft's works, and it is generally accepted that it has passed into the public domain.[1][2] Lovecraft himself was extremely generous with his own works, and actively encouraged others to borrow ideas from his stories, particularly with regard to his Cthulhu Mythos.
Many of the writers Lovecraft collaborated with lived on much later into the 20th century, e.g. Clark Ashton Smith (d. 1961), August Derleth (d. 1971), Robert Bloch (d. 1994) etc. Certain elements of the Mythos are theirs, or have been created by other still-living authors. What these writers created in the Mythos won't enter the public domain until later on, unless their creations are already in public domain if the copyrights to the stories weren't renewed. |
H. P. Lovecraft (d. 1937) | ||
| Zorro | The Curse of Capistrano (1919) | United States | 1995 | Often has issues with trademarks | ||
| Sherlock Holmes | A Study in Scarlet (1887) | United Kingdom | 2000 (UK) | In the US, the character was never copyrighted, but the final Arthur Conan Doyle story entered the public domain in 2023. | Arthur Conan Doyle (d. 1930) | None |
| Peter Rabbit | The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) | United Kingdom | 1978 (US) / 2014 (UK) | Beatrix Potter (d. 1943) | ||
| Winnie-the-Pooh and related characters | Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) | United Kingdom/United States | 2047 (UK) / 2022 (US) |
Some Pooh works were simultaneously published in the United States so they're public domain for our purposes. Disney's character designs are still under copyright until the 2060s. |
A. A. Milne (d. 1956) and E.H. Shepherd (d. 1976) | Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) RE0000636587
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968) RE0000718378 |
| Sam Spade | The Black Mask (1929) | United States | 2025 |
The Maltese Falcon was initially serialized in The Black Mask [a][b] Later printed in full as The Maltese Falcon (1930) In Warner Bros. Pictures v. Columbia Broadcasting System the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the character of Sam Spade was ineligible for copyright because "if the character is only the chessman in the game of telling the story he is not within the area of the protection afforded by the copyright" and that Sam Spade and other "characters were vehicles for the story told". |
Dashiell Hammett (d. 1961) | R179950-R179952 and R202664-202665 for the serial
R205663 for 1930 novel |
| Conan the Barbarian | Weird Tales (1932) | United States | 2028 | Conan appeared in "The Phoenix on the Sword" in 1932, he also appeared earlier the same year in "People of the Dark", neither story had their copyrights renewed. | Robert E. Howard (d. 1936) | |
| Nancy Drew | The Secret of the Old Clock (1930) | United States | 2026 | Later re-written in 1959; which has its own copyright | Mildred Benson (d. 2002) under pseudonym Carolyn Keene
Russell H. Tandy (d. 1963) for illustrations |
R197875 |
| Tsathoggua | Weird Tales (1931) | United States | 2027 | Part of the Hyperborean cycle and the Cthulhu Mythos.
Originally created by Clark Ashton Smith for the story "The Tale of Satampra Zeiros", but appeared in stories by his friends Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft before his story was published ("The Children of the Night" and "The Whisperer in Darkness" respectively) |
Clark Ashton Smith (d. 1961) | R230427 for the issue of Weird Tales with "The Tale of Satampra Zeiros" |
| Babar the Elephant | The Story of Babar (1931) | France | 2027 (US)/2008 (France) | The first Babar book was published in France in 1931, and in the United States in 1933. | Jean de Brunhoff (d. 1937)
Be careful not to use illustrations by his son, Laurent de Brunhoff, who took over his father's series and died in 2024. |
R265890 for The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant |
| Mary Poppins | Mary Poppins (1934) | United Kingdom/United States | 2030 (US)/2067 (UK) | The first Poppins book was published simultaneously in the United States
The Mary Poppins character, in a much less defined way, first appeared in a 1926 short story Mary Poppins And the Match-Man that was published in New Zealand's The Sun |
P. L. Travers (d. 1996) | R292340 for the first book |
| Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler | Gone with the Wind (1936) | United States | 2032 |
The film from 1939 will be public domain in 2035 |
Margaret Mitchell (d. 1949) | R318689-318690 for the 1936 novel
R399224 for the 1939 film |
| The Thing (from another world) | Who Goes There? (1938) | United States | 2034 | First published in Astounding Science Fiction in the August 1938 edition | John W. Campbell (d. 1971) | R365826 for the August 1938 edition |
| Madam Mim | The Sword in the Stone (1938) | United Kingdom | 2035 (UK/US) | First published in the United States in 1939 | T. H. White (d. 1964) | R377500 |
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1939) | United States | 2035 | The 1964 television special is in the public domain due to an improper copyright notice. However the special is restricted as a derivative work of the original character, song, and other copyrighted elements present
Sound recordings of the 1949 song will not enter the public domain until 2060 |
Robert L. May (d. 1976) | R404750 for the 1939 book
R639542 for the 1949 song |
| Horton the Elephant | Horton Hatches the Egg (1940) | United States | 2036 | "Dr. Seuss" (d. 1991) | R428772 | |
| Mike Hammer | I, the Jury (1947) | United States | 2043 | Mickey Spillane (d. 2006) | R608341 | |
| Bilbo Baggins | The Hobbit (1937) | United Kingdom | 2033 (US) / 2044 (UK) | Houghton Mifflin published the first American edition of The Hobbit in spring of 1938 | J. R. R. Tolkien (d. 1973) | Copyright was restored under Uruguay Round Agreements Act |
| Winston Smith and Big Brother | Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) | United Kingdom | 2045 (US) / 2021 (UK) | George Orwell (d. 1950) | R641953 | |
| Noddy | Noddy Goes to Toyland (1949) | United Kingdom | 2045 (US) / 2039 (UK) | Enid Blyton (d. 1968) | ||
| Aslan | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) | United Kingdom | 2046 (US) / 2034 (UK) | C. S. Lewis (d. 1963) | Copyright restored under the URAA | |
| Hercule Poirot | The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) | United Kingdom | 2047 (UK) / 1976 (US) | Agatha Christie (d. 1976) | ||
| Miss Marple | The Royal Magazine (1927) | United Kingdom | 2047 (UK) / 2023 (US) | First novel was The Murder at the Vicarage (1930) | Agatha Christie (d. 1976) | R209544 for 1930 book |
| Curious George | Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys (1939) | France | 2035 (US) 2048 (France) |
H.A. Rey (d. 1977) | ||
| Guy Montag | Fahrenheit 451 (1953) | United States | 2049 | Ray Bradbury (d. 2012) | RE0000105689 | |
| James Bond | Casino Royale (1953) | United Kingdom | 2049 (US) / 2035 (UK) | Simultatenously published in the US and UK
Later film rights under separate copyrights |
Ian Fleming (d. 1964) | RE0000108490 for the 1953 book |
| The Grinch | How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957) | United States | 2053 | The animated TV special by Chuck Jones is protected until 2062 | "Dr. Seuss" (d. 1991) | RE0000238319 for the 1957 book
RE0000621446 for the 1966 TV special |
| The Cat in the Hat | The Cat in the Hat (1957) | United States | 2053 | "Dr. Seuss" (d. 1991) | RE0000240391 | |
| Norman Bates | Psycho (1959) | United States | 2055 | The Hitchcock film is separately copyrighted until 2056 | Robert Bloch (d. 1994) | RE0000319609 for the book
RE0000400889 for the 1960 film |
| Thomas the Tank Engine | Thomas the Tank Engine (1946) | United Kingdom | 2042 (US) / 2068 (UK) | Wilbert Awdry (d. 1997) |
Live Action Origin
edit| Character | First appearance | Source country | Expiration | Notes | Original author/copyright owner | Renewal (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald McDonald | Washington D.C. McDonald's commercial (1963) | United States | 1963 | Willard Scott (d. 2021) | Commercial released without copyright notice. | |
| Keystone Cops | Hoffmeyer's Legacy (1912) | United Stars | 1968 | Hank Mann (d. 1971) Mack Sennet (d. 1960) |
||
| The Tramp | Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914) | United States | 1971 | Charlie Chaplin (d. 1977) | ||
| King Kong | King Kong (1933) novelisation (1932) | United States | 1932 (2029 at maximum) | Often has issues with trademarks. See for example Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. While the film is still copyrighted, it is unclear if the character is in public domain or not. | Merian C. Cooper (d. 1973) | Novelisation was released prior to the film without a copyright notice. |
| Kermit the Frog | Unidentified first episode (Sam and Friends; (1955)) | United States | 2061 | It is debated whether Sam & Friends was pre-recorded (in which case it would be public domain due to a lack of copyright notice) or a live show (which would legally not count it as "published"), in the latter situation, there is further debate as to whether Kermit's first pre-recorded appearances after Sam & Friends (commercials for Eskay Meats, which also lack copyright notices) would count as his "debut". | Jim Henson (d. 1990) | |
| Charles Foster Kane | Citizen Kane (1941) | United States | 2037 | Orson Welles (d. 1985) Herman J. Mankiewicz (d. 1953) |
||
| Ro-Man | Robot Monster (1953) | United States | 2049 | Phil Tucker (d. 1985) Wyott Ordung (d. 2005) |
||
| Godzilla | Godzilla (1954) | Japan | 2050 (US) 2068 maximum (Japan) |
Tomoyuki Tanaka (d. 1997) Eiji Tsuburaya (d. 1970) Ishirō Honda (d. 1993) Shigeru Kayama (d. 1975) |
||
| Gill-man | Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) | United States | 2050 | Milicent Patrick (d. 1998) Harry Essex (d. 1997) Arthur A. Ross (d. 2008) Maurice Zimm (d. 2005) |
||
| Wilkins & Wontkins | "Cannon" (Wilkins Coffee commercial, 1957) | United States | 2053 | Often mistaken for being public domain, as very few commercials featuring them had copyright notices, however, "Cannon" was one of the few to have a notice | Jim Henson (d. 1990) | |
| Rowlf the Dog | Purina dog food commercials (1962) | Created in the United States First shown in Canada |
2058 (US) 2061 (Canada) |
Jim Henson (d. 1990) |
Animation Origin
edit| Character | First appearance | Source country | Expiration | Notes | Original author/copyright owner | Renewal (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peg Leg Pete | Alice Solves the Puzzle (1925) | United States | 1954 | Originally depicted as a bear, the more well-known feline incarnation became public domain in 2024. | Walt Disney (d. 1966) Ub Iwerks (d. 1971) |
Short was not renewed |
| Sam the Snowman, Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius, and the Misfit Toys | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) | United States | 1964 | Released with a mispelled copyright notice. Rudolph and certain other elements such as music that predate the film remain under copyright. | Romeo Muller (d. 1992) Larry Roemer (d. 1995) |
|
| Tweety | A Tale of Two Kitties (1942) | United States | 1970 | Known as "Orson" in his first appearance, and first named Tweety in his second appearance, Birdy and the Beast.
Later character design first used in Tweetie Pie is still copyrighted. |
Bob Clampett (d. 1984) | No known renewal for the first short. |
| Dan Backslide, the Dover Boys, and Dora Standpipe | The Dover Boys at Pimento University (1942) | United States | 1970 | Chuck Jones (d. 2002) | ||
| Colonel Montgomery J. Klaxon and Calvin T. Burnside | "The Television Job" (Calvin and the Colonel; 1961) | United States | 1990 | An animated remake of Amos 'n' Andy | None | |
| Felix the Cat | Feline Follies (1919) | United States | 1995 | Pat Sullivan (d. 1933) Otto Messmer (d. 1983) |
||
| Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | Trolley Troubles (1927) | United States | 2023 | Later redesigns by Manuel Moreno may still be copyrighted.
Original copyright for Trolley Troubles ended in 1955 when the copyright was not renewed. |
Walt Disney (d. 1966)
Ub Iwerks (d. 1971) |
|
| Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse | Steamboat Willie (1928) | United States | 2024 | Later redesigns are still copyrighted, see here and here for lists of designs by year. Note however that the lists are only comprised of animation and comic strip art, not posters or anything else where a design would have been shown first. | Walt Disney (d. 1966)
Ub Iwerks (d. 1971) |
|
| Bosko | Bosko, the Talk-Ink Kid (1929), Sinkin' in the Bathtub (1930) | United States | 2026 | Bosko was the first Looney Tunes character. Bosko first appeared in Bosko, the Talk-Ink Kid, a test film which wasn't released in theaters.
In 1933, Harman and Ising left Warner Bros., taking the rights to the Bosko characters with them. However, Warner Bros. retained the rights to the cartoons. None of the copyrights to any of Bosko's works through 1931 seem to have been renewed. |
Hugh Harman (d. 1982)
Rudolf Ising (d. 1992) |
|
| Casper the Friendly Ghost | The Friendly Ghost (1945) | United States | 2041 | The character was originally created for a children's book that went unpublished. The short film he was introduced in did not have its copyright renewed. | Seymour Reit (d. 2001)
Joe Oriolo (d. 1985) |
|
| The Noid | Domino's Pizza commercial (1986) | United States | 1986, 2082 at maximum | Debut commercial released without a copyright notice and was never registered. However, a copyright notice may have been printed on the film provided to broadcasters. | Tom Masters (identity unknown) Will Vinton (d. 2018) |
|
| Doug Funnie | Florida Grapefruit Juice Commercial (1988) | United States | 1988, 2084 at maximum | See the Noid. Originally an adult and not a child. | Jim Jinkins (currently living) | |
| Betty Boop | Dizzy Dishes (1930) | United States | 2026 | Some later shorts not renewed | R198400 | |
| Pluto | The Chain Gang (1930) | United States | 2027 |
First named as Rover in The Picnic (1930) First named as Pluto in The Moose Hunt (1931) |
Walt Disney (d. 1966)
Norm Ferguson (d. 1957) |
R204524 for The Chain Gang
R204528 for The Picnic R225455 for The Moose Hunt |
| Buddy (Looney Tunes) | Buddy's Day Out, Buddy's Beer Garden (both 1933) | United States | 2029 | Later appeared on Animaniacs. | Tom Palmer (d. 1972) | |
| Donald Duck | The Wise Little Hen (1934) | United States | 2030 |
A different Donald Duck appeared in The Adventures of Mickey Mouse (1931).[3] |
Walt Disney (d. 1966)
Dick Lundy (d. 1990) |
R27781 for The Wise Little Hen
R225437 for The Adventures of Mickey Mouse |
| Goofy | Orphan's Benefit (1934) | United States | 2030 |
First appeared as Dippy Dawg in Mickey's Revue (1932) |
Walt Disney (d. 1966)
Pinto Colvig (d. 1967) |
R281004 for Orphans' Benefit
R237770 for Mickey's Revue |
| Porky Pig | I Haven't Got a Hat (1935) | United States | 2031 | Some later shorts not renewed | Friz Freleng (d. 1995) | R311533 |
| Daffy Duck | Porky's Duck Hunt (1937) | United States | 2033 | Some later shorts not renewed | Tex Avery (d. 1980)
Bob Clampett (d. 1984) |
R363524 |
| Elmer Fudd | Little Red Walking Hood (1937) | United States | 2033 | Originally a hero, would become a villain in 1940's Elmer's Candid Camera | Tex Avery (d. 1980) Chuck Jones (d. 2002) |
|
| Bugs Bunny | A Wild Hare (1940) | United States | 2036 | Appeared in three earlier prototype versions
Several cartoons failed to have their copyrights renewed. |
Complex, had several fathers | R434265 |
| Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse | Puss Gets the Boot (1940) | United States | 2036 | Not named until The Midnight Snack (1941) | William Hanna (d. 2001)
Joseph Barbera (d. 2006) |
R404444 for Puss Gets the Boot
R439708 for The Midnight Snack |
| Woody Woodpecker | Knock Knock (1940) | United States | 2036 | Walter Lantz (d. 1994)
Ben Hardaway (d. 1957) |
R423773 | |
| Daisy Duck | Mr. Duck Steps Out (1940) | United States | 2033 | A prototype version called Donna Duck appeared in 1937 in the film Don Donald | Carl Barks (d. 2000) | R329715 for Don Donald
R411801 for Mr. Duck Steps Out |
| Dumbo | Dumbo (1941) | United States | 2037 |
The original book from 1939[4] is not known to be extant, and its publication is dubious |
Helen Aberson-Mayer (d. 1999)
Harold Pearl (d. 1975) |
R442538 for the 1941 film |
| Mighty Mouse | Mouse of Tomorrow (1942) | United States | 2038 | Paul Terry (d. 1971)
Isadore Klein (d. 1986) |
R471862 | |
| Droopy, Red, and Wolfie | Dumb-Hounded for Droopy and Wolfie, Red Hot Riding Hood for Red (both 1943) | United States | 2039 | An earlier incarnation of Wolfie as a caricature of Adolf Hitler was featured in Blitz Wolf a year prior. | Tex Avery (d. 1980) | R480799 |
| Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner | Fast and Furry-ous (1949) | United States | 2045 | Chuck Jones (d. 2002)
Michael Maltese (d. 1981) |
R627299 | |
| Yogi Bear, Boo Boo Bear, and Ranger Smith | "Huckleberry Hound Meets Wee Willie / Cousin Tex / Yogi Bear's Big Break" (The Huckleberry Hound Show, 1958) | United States | 2054 | William Hanna (d. 2001) Joseph Barbera (d. 2006) |
||
| Huckleberry Hound | "Huckleberry Hound Meets Wee Willie / Cousin Tex / Yogi Bear's Big Break" (The Huckleberry Hound Show, 1958) | United States | 2054 | William Hanna (d. 2001) Joseph Barbera (d. 2006) |
||
| Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Bullwinkle J. Moose, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Dudley Do-Right & associated characters | "Jet Fuel Formula" (Rocky and His Friends; 1959) | United States | 2055 | Jay Ward (d. 1989) Alex Anderson (d. 2010) Bill Scott (d. 1985) |
||
| Fred Flintstone, Wilma Flintstone, Barney Rubble, Betty Rubble | "The Flintstone Flyer" (The Flintstones; 1960) | United States | 2056 | Pebbles Flintstone and Bamm-Bamm Rubble were first introduced in episodes from Seasons Two and Three during 1963 and will enter the public domain in 2059 | William Hanna (d. 2001)
Joseph Barbera (d. 2006) |
RE0000396998 for The Flintstone Flyer (1960)
RE0000555065 for The Blessed Event (1963) RE0000547359 for Little Bamm-Bamm (1963) |
Comic Origin
edit| Character | First appearance | Source country | Expiration | Notes | Original author/copyright owner | Renewal (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Marvel (Fawcett Comics), Shazam, Doctor Sivana | Whiz Comics #2 (1940) | United States | 1968 | Several issues of Whiz Comics didn't have their copyrights renewed.
Later depictions of the characters, as published by Fawcett and DC, have separate copyrights |
Bill Parker (d. 1963)
C. C. Beck (d. 1989) |
|
| Plastic Man | Police Comics #1 (1941) | United States | 1969 | Later editions and usages still subject to copyright | Jack Cole (d. 1958) | No renewal |
| Blackhawk | Military Comics #1 (1941) | United States | 1969 | Not renewed | Chuck Cuidera (d. 2001)
Bob Powell (d. 1967) Will Eisner (d. 2005) |
|
| Garfield | Jon (1976) | United States | 1976 | The original Jon and Garfield strips were published in the Pendleton Times from 1976 to 1978. Neither the strips nor the newspaper in which they were published included any copyright notice. The Garfield comic strip began including copyright notices only once picked up for syndication in 1978.
The appearance of Garfield in Jon and in the 1977–78 strips differs from his appearance in more recent strips. Odie is known as Spot and Pookie is known as Huggy. New material from the later series is separately copyrighted. |
Jim Davis (currently living) | |
| Rupert Bear | The Little Lost Bear (1920) | United Kingdom | 2019 (US/UK) | Mary Tourtel (d. 1948) | ||
| Buck Rogers | Buck Rogers comic strip (1929) | United States | 2025 | Buck Rogers is based on Anthony Rogers from Armageddon 2419 A.D. (1928), a work that was not renewed. Many now iconic parts of Buck Rogers are later additions to the character. For example, Buck Rogers first ventured into space in January 1930. | Philip Francis Nowlan (d. 1940) | |
| Namor | Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, Marvel Comics #1 (both 1939) | United States | 2035 | The character appeared in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly, likely first published before Marvel Comics; the former doesn't seem to have had its copyright renewed. | Bill Everett (d. 1973) | |
| Popeye | Thimble Theatre (1929) | United States | 2025 | Several of Paramount's cartoons did not have their copyrights renewed. | E. C. Segar (d. 1938) | R164887 |
| Dick Tracy | Dick Tracy comic strip (1931) | United States | 2027 | Chester Gould (d. 1985) | ||
| Nancy Ritz | Fritzi Ritz comic strip (January 2, 1933) | United States | 2029 | Ernie Bushmiller (d. 1982) | ||
| Flash Gordon | Flash Gordon comic strip (1934) | United States | 2030 | Alex Raymond (d. 1956) | ||
| Li'l Abner | Li'l Abner comic strip (1934) | United States | 2030 | Al Capp (d. 1979) | ||
| Snuffy Smith | Barney Google comic strip (November 17, 1934) | United States | 2030 | Billy DeBeck (d. 1942)
Fred Lasswell (d. 2001) |
||
| Mandrake the Magician | Mandrake the Magician comic strip (1934) | United States | 2030 | Lee Falk (d. 1999) | ||
| The Phantom | The Phantom comic strip (1936) | United States | 2032 | Lee Falk (d. 1999) | ||
| Prince Valiant | Prince Valiant comic (1937) | United States | 2033 | Hal Foster (d. 1982) | ||
| Huey, Dewey, and Louie | Donald Duck comic strip (October 17, 1937) | United States | 2033 | First appeared in animation in Donald's Nephews (1938) | Ted Osborne (d. 1968)
Al Taliaferro (d. 1969) |
R354206 for comic
R361885 for animated short |
| The Addams Family | The New Yorker cartoon (6 August, 1938)[5] | United States | 2034 | The family members wouldn't get names until later on. | Charles Addams (d. 1988) | R366101 for the August 6, 1938 edition of The New Yorker |
| Superman | Action Comics #1 (1938) | United States | 2034 | The Paramount cartoons did not have their copyrights renewed. The first incarnation of a "Superman" character created by Siegel and Shuster, Bill Dunn as seen in the written story "The Reign of the Superman", is already public domain, but has very little if anything in common with the Superman known today. | Jerry Siegel (d. 1996)
Joe Shuster (d. 1992) |
R362187 |
| Batman | Detective Comics #27 (1939) | United States | 2035 | Bob Kane (d. 1998)
Bill Finger (d. 1974) |
R383871 | |
| The Phantom Blot | Mickey Mouse comic strip (May 22, 1939) | United States | 2035 | Floyd Gottfredson (d. 1986)
Merrill De Maris (d. 1948) |
||
| Robin | Detective Comics #38 (1940) | United States | 2036 | For the Dick Grayson version; later versions had separate copyrights | Bob Kane (d. 1998)
Bill Finger (d. 1974) Jerry Robinson (d. 2011) |
R415982 |
| The Joker | Batman #1 (1940) | United States | 2036 | Bob Kane (d. 1998)
Bill Finger (d. 1974) Jerry Robinson (d. 2011) | ||
| The Spirit | "The Origin of The Spirit" (June 2, 1940) | United States | 2036 | Will Eisner (d. 2005) | ||
| The Flash | Flash Comics #1 (1940) | United States | 2036 | Jay Garrick version is from 1940
Later versions like Barry Allen and Wally West debuted in 1956 and 1959, respectively; West first became The Flash in 1986 before he was Kid Flash |
Gardner Fox (d. 1986)
Harry Lampert (d. 2004) |
R412577 for the 1940 comic |
| Green Lantern | All-American Comics #16 (1940) | United States | 2036 | Alan Scott is the version from 1940
Later versions like Hal Jordan and John Stewart debuted in 1959 and 1971, respectively |
Martin Nodell (d. 2006)
Bill Finger (d. 1974) |
R421919 for the 1940 comic |
| Captain America | Captain America Comics #1 (1941) | United States | 2036 | While the comic was cover dated for 1941, it was copyrighted in December, 1940 | Joe Simon (d. 2011)
Jack Kirby (d. 1994) |
R429502 |
| Archie Andrews | Pep Comics #22 (1941) | United States | 2037 | Archie was inspired by Andy Hardy, who first appeared in the play Skidding (1928), a work that is now in public domain. | John L. Goldwater (d. 1999)
Bob Montana (d. 1975) Vic Bloom (d. 1983) |
|
| Wonder Woman | All Star Comics #8 (1941) | United States | 2037 | William Moulton Marston (d. 1947)
H. G. Peter (d. 1958) |
R457919 | |
| Aquaman | More Fun Comics #73 (1941) | United States | 2037 | Mort Weisinger (d. 1978)
Paul Norris (d. 2007) |
R461009 | |
| Green Arrow | More Fun Comics #73 (1941) | United States | 2037 | Mort Weisinger (d. 1978)
George Papp (d. 1989) |
R461009 | |
| Pogo | Animal Comics #1 (1941) | United States | 2037 | The character would get a new design in 1948 when he got a comic strip. | Walt Kelly (d. 1973) | |
| Desperate Dan | The Dandy (1937) | United Kingdom | 2033 (USA) / 2040 (UK) | Dudley D. Watkins (d. 1969) | ||
| Lord Snooty | The Beano (1938) | United Kingdom | 2034 (US) / 2040 (UK) | Original incarnation, does not include Lord Snooty the Third | Dudley D. Watkins (d. 1969) | |
| Scrooge McDuck | Christmas on Bear Mountain (1947) | United States | 2043 | A predecessor character to Scrooge, the thrifty duck from The Spirit of '43 is already public domain as the short was commissioned by the US Government. | Carl Barks (d. 2000) | R592670[6] |
| The Shmoo | Lil' Abner comic strip (August 31, 1948) | United States | 2044 | Al Capp (d. 1979) | ||
| Iron Man (Canadian comics) | Better Comics #1 (1941) | Canada | 2045 (Canada) / 2037 (US) | The first Canadian superhero. | Vernon Miller (d. 1974) | |
| Nelvana of the Northern Lights | Triumph-Adventure Comics #1 (1941) | Canada | 2045 (Canada) / 2037 (US) | The first Canadian national superhero. | Adrian Dingle (d. 1974) | |
| Beetle Bailey | Beetle Bailey (1950) | United States | 2046 | Mort Walker (d. 2018) | ||
| Charlie Brown | Peanuts (1950) | United States | 2046 | Charles M. Schulz (d. 2000) | ||
| Dennis the Menace (US) | Dennis the Menace (1951) | United States | 2047 | Hank Ketcham (d. 2001) | ||
| Dennis the Menace (UK) | The Beano (1951) | United Kingdom | 2047 (US) / 2073 at maximum (UK) | Gnasher was co-created by David Law and Ian Gray (d. 2007) so will become public domain in the UK in 2078. | George Moonie (d. 2002) David Law (d. 1971) Ian Chisholm (d. 1981) |
|
| Walter the Softy | The Beano (1953) | United Kingdom | 2049 (US) / 2042 (UK) | David Law (d. 1971) | ||
| Tintin and Snowy | Le Petit Vingtième, strip (1929) Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, book (1930) | Belgium | 2054 (Belgium/France) / 2025 (US) | The first American release of the series was by Golden Press in 1959. | Hergé (d. 1983) | |
| Fantastic Four | The Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961) | United States | 2057 | Stan Lee (d. 2018)
Jack Kirby (d. 1994) |
||
| Astro Boy | Shonen (April 1951) | Japan | 2047 (US)/2060 (Japan) | Osamu Tezuka (d. 1989) | ||
| Kimba the White Lion | Manga Shōnen (November 1950) | Japan | 2046 (US) 2060 (Japan) |
Known as Jungle Emperor Leo in Japan, Kimba name would not be used until American localisations circa 1966 | Osamu Tezuka (d. 1989) | |
| Spirou | Le Journal de Spirou #1 (April 21, 1938) | Belgium | 2034 (US)/2062 (Belgium) | Robert Velter (d. 1991) | ||
| The Smurfs | Spirou #1072 (October 1958) | Belgium | 2054 (US)/2063 (Belgium) | Peyo (d. 1992) |
Radio/Sound Origin
editSound recordings have different copyright lengths from other works. See Ask a Librarian
| Character | First appearance | Source country | Expiration | Notes | Original author/copyright owner | Renewal (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Shadow | Detective Story Hour (July 31, 1930) | United States | 2031 | First appeared on radio as a storyteller with a creepy voice and laugh, later became a full-fledged character in pulp fiction. | Walter B. Gibson (d. 1985) | |
| Gerald McBoing-Boing | Gerald McBoing-Boing, children's record (1950) | United States | 2061 | "Dr. Seuss" (d. 1991) | ||
| Frosty the Snowman | "Frosty the Snowman" (1950) | United Staties | 2061 | Walter E. "Jack" Rollins (d. 1973) Steve Nelson (d. 1981) |
||
| Alvin and the Chipmunks | "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" (1958) | United States | 2067 | Ross Bagdasarian (d. 1972) |
Other Origins
edit| Character | First appearance | Source country | Expiration | Notes | Original author/copyright owner | Renewal (if applicable) | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Shark | Baby Shark (20th century) | Unknown | Often mistakenly believed to have originated with Pinkfong in the 2010s | Unknown | Folk song | ||
| Martians | Mars Attacks (1962) | United States | 2058 | Len Brown (still living) | Trading cards | ||
| Crab, Octopus, and Squid | Space Invaders (1978) | Japan | 2049 at minimum (Japan) 2074 (US) |
Provided as an example of when video games will start becoming public domain. Nishikado was not initially credited for Space Invaders, therefore it would likely be attributed as a creation of Taito and enter public domain in Japan 70 years from publication. | Tomohiro Nishikado (still living) | Video games |
References
edit- ↑ The Black Seas of Copyright
- ↑ S. T. Joshi (1996). H. P. Lovecraft: A Life
- ↑ Donald Duck Arrived in Print Three Years Earlier Than His On-Screen Appearance. D23 (June 21, 2013).
- ↑ http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Essays/DumboRollABook/DumboRollABook.html
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/a/addams_charles.htm
- ↑ https://www.google.com/books/edition/Catalog_of_Copyright_Entries_Third_Serie/jkchAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1