2026 Marks the Release of Betty Boop, Pluto, and Nancy Drew into the Public Domain
A few years back, I was crafting a science fiction short story and wanted to weave in lines from a 1928 tune, “Button Up Your Overcoat.” However, when I sold the story, my editor advised against including the lyrics due to copyright restrictions. Fast forward to today, and I could have used them since the song entered the public domain two years ago.
If you’re on the hunt for songs, books, or films to incorporate into your projects, you might be checking which of your favorites are becoming public domain. This year, works created in 1930 (with the exception of sound recordings from 1925) are now free to use and remix in the US.
As highlighted in previous discussions, Duke Law School’s Center for the Study of Public Domain has compiled a list of iconic works that have recently shed their copyright constraints.
Let’s dive into some notable works entering the public domain this year:
* William Faulkner’s novel *As I Lay Dying*
* Agatha Christie’s *The Murder at the Vicarage*
* The first four Nancy Drew mysteries, starting with *Secret of the Old Clock*
* Fleischer Studios’ Betty Boop
* Chic Young’s *Blondie* comic strip
* The film *All Quiet on the Western Front*, directed by Lewis Milestone
* The Marx Brothers’ *Animal Crackers*
* *The Blue Angel* featuring Marlene Dietrich
* Disney’s short film *Just Fiddlin’ Around* (Just Mickey)
* George and Ira Gershwin’s songs *I Got Rhythm* and *Embraceable You*
* *Dream a Little Dream of Me*, with lyrics by Gus Kahn and music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt
* The recording of *The St. Louis Blues* featuring Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong
* *Fascinating Rhythm*, recorded by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra
And many more.
The year 1930 was a landmark for risqué films that skirted the Hays Code, a set of self-imposed guidelines aimed at maintaining moral standards in cinema. While some studios began to adopt the code in 1930, it wasn’t strictly enforced until 1934, which banned scenes with profanity, crime, and sexual content. For instance, in the 1930 film *Morocco*, Marlene Dietrich famously wore a tuxedo and kissed another woman—an act that would have been censored under the Hays Code.
Betty Boop, the iconic Fleischer flapper, also made her debut in 1930 with the cartoon *Dizzy Dishes*. If you’re looking to use clips for your own project, feel free! Just remember that Betty originally appeared as a dog, with her signature earrings initially resembling dog ears. So, the version in the public domain is her earlier form, not the more human iterations we know today. Similarly, the first appearance of Pluto, then called Rover, in *The Picnic* is now available for use.
If you’re a gamer eager to play with these characters, consider entering the Gaming Like It’s 1930 jam. You have until the end of January to submit your digital or analog game, but make sure it includes a work from 1930!
