How Much Do You Know About Public Domain Day? Quiz

Public Domain Day usually takes place on January 1st each year. This date marks the legal transition of copyright works into the public domain based on the copyright laws of individual countries. It is not observed on February 14th, April 1st, or July 4th but specifically on the first day of the year, signifying the opening of access to works that have completed their copyright protection terms.

In 2022, in the United States, about 400,000 sound recordings from before 1923 entered the public domain under the CLASSICS Act. This was in addition to works published in 1926 that had their copyright renewed. The inclusion of sound recordings marked a significant expansion of the public domain, providing broader access to cultural and artistic works from the early 20th century.

In 2024, in the United States, all published works from 1928 will enter the public domain. This milestone includes works like the animated short film Steamboat Willie, featuring Mickey Mouse. It marks the end of a significant copyright freeze that had been imposed for 10 years by the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. The inclusion of works from 1928 represents a landmark event, offering broader access to cultural and creative works from that period.

The Public Domain Review was launched by the Open Knowledge Foundation in celebration of Public Domain Day 2011. It is a web-based review highlighting works that have entered the public domain. While Creative Commons and Project Gutenberg have promoted Public Domain Day, they were not responsible for launching The Public Domain Review, which serves as a platform to showcase and explore works newly available to the public.

Public Domain Day in the United States in 2019 was marked by the Grand Re-Opening of the Public Domain. This event included activities at the MIT Libraries, showcasing public domain works. It celebrated the expiration of copyright under the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, allowing meaningful copyright expirations for the first time since the act's passage in 1998. The event gathered scholars and organizations like Creative Commons, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Wikimedia Foundation.

Copyright protection usually lasts 70 years post mortem auctoris in many jurisdictions, including the United States and the European Union. This duration is measured from the end of the calendar year when the author died. It is not 50 years, 90 years, or lifetime plus 20 years but specifically 70 years, reflecting the common standard for copyright terms in numerous countries.

The passage of a work into the public domain depends on jurisdiction-specific copyright laws. It is not determined by the author's birthdate, the country's GDP, or the number of copies sold but rather by the legal framework in each jurisdiction. Copyright laws vary globally, impacting when works become part of the public domain. This variability means that a work entering the public domain in one country may not do so simultaneously in another, emphasizing the importance of understanding copyright laws in specific jurisdictions.

Public Domain Day in 2010 celebrated the entry of works into the public domain in many countries. It was not about discovering new planets, launching the internet, or completing major construction projects but specifically about acknowledging the availability of works by authors such as Sigmund Freud, William Butler Yeats, Ford Madox Ford, and Arthur Rackham in the public domain. This recognition marked the opening of access to these works for public use without copyright restrictions.

Significant materials entering the public domain in 2021 included jazz standards and classic novels. This marked Public Domain Day, allowing broader access to cultural and artistic works, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, Ernest Hemingway's In Our Time, Franz Kafka's The Trial, and the jazz standard "Sweet Georgia Brown." The inclusion of these works expanded the public domain and facilitated their use for various purposes without copyright restrictions.

The concept of "Public Domain Day" was initially mentioned in 2004 by Wallace McLean, a Canadian public domain activist. Lawrence Lessig, a notable figure in the field, supported the idea. The earliest known mention of Public Domain Day was in 2004, and it gained support from prominent individuals like Lessig. This day signifies the transition of copyright works into the public domain and has been recognized and promoted by advocates aiming to raise awareness about the importance of free access to creative and cultural works.