Popeye and Tintin Enter the Public Domain

It’s a new year, and that means more works are headed to the public domain. This year, thousands of copyrighted works created in 1929, including the earliest versions of Popeye and the Belgian comic book character Tintin, are now free to reuse and repurpose in the US.

Duke Law School’s Study of Public Domain

Duke Law School’s Center for the Study of Public Domain has once again rounded up all the most iconic works that have been freed from the bounds of copyright, which also includes sound recordings from 1924. As pointed out by Duke Law School, 1929 was a particularly pivotal year for film, as it was the first with sound.

Works Entering the Public Domain

These are just some of the works entering the public domain this year (you can view the full catalog here):

Popeye and Tintin

The list also includes Popeye, who first appeared in E.C. Segar’s Thimble Theatre comic strip, with a story titled “Gobs of Work.” But this Popeye isn’t the one that eats spinach to grow big muscles; the brawny sailor didn’t start eating spinach to gain strength until 1932 (though the very first Popeye could still pack a punch).

The Evolution of Characters

“Everything that he says, all of his characteristics, his personality, his sarcasm… that’s public domain,” Jennifer Jenkins, the director of Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, told NPR. “The spinach, if you want to be on the safe side, you might want to wait.”

Copyright Laws and Public Domain

As with previous years’ works, this latest round of media could’ve appeared in the public domain much earlier, but US lawmakers in 1998 extended copyright protections to works from 1923 and beyond for an additional 20 years — conveniently protecting Disney’s mascot Mickey Mouse. But Disney couldn’t keep its iconic mouse all to itself forever, as the Steamboat Willie-era Mickey entered the public domain last year.

Future Works in the Public Domain

There will be an even wider range of classic characters to use next year, with Betty Boop and Pluto set to enter the public domain in 2026.

FAQs

When do works enter the public domain?

Works from 1929, such as the earliest versions of Popeye and Tintin, have entered the public domain this year.

What are the implications of works entering the public domain?

Works entering the public domain allow for greater reuse and repurposing without copyright restrictions.

Credit: www.theverge.com