First, a quick refresher on public domain and the Mickey Mouse Protection Act current copyright law. In 1998, Congress extended copyright protections from works published between 1923 and 1977 by an additional 20 years (from 75 years to 95 years). This extension notoriously has kept Steamboat Willie, the film featuring the earliest iteration of Mickey Mouse, out of the public domain. (Though Disney is finally set to lose the copyright for that film in 2024).
What is the Public Domain?
Copyrighted creative works, whether they’re books, movies, or music, enter the public domain in the United States after 95 years, meaning they’re free for use by the American public and free to build upon. This is how you get retellings and re-samplings of classic works, like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and any of the times Sherlock Holmes has been paired against Jack the Ripper or Cthulhu. It’s also how podcasts like Phoebe Reads a Mystery are able to serialize installments of The Turn of the Screw or The Moonstone. This year, books first published in 1925 are entering public domain, which means you’ll soon be able to read them for free online at sites like Project Gutenberg.
2021 Public Domain Books
Given the publishing landscape of 1925, this year’s public domain works are predominantly white and male. But now that these works are finally free and clear of copyright, they can be reimagined, modernized, and diversified. Here are a few highlights, but feel free to check out the full list of books published in 1925 and find your own gems. Interested in what other free works of “classic” literature are out there? Try these starting points:
Public Domain Gems That Everyone Needs to Read 10 Free Audiobooks You Probably Didn’t Know Were in the Public Domain 20 Must-Read Free Classics on Project Gutenberg
