When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of works that entered the public domain in 2011. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
Entered the public domain in countries with life + 70 years With the exception of Belarus & Spain (which has a copyright term of Life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987), a work enters the public domain in Europe 70 years after the creator's death, if it was published during the creator's lifetime.Directive 2006/116/EC The list is sorted alphabetically and includes a notable work of the creator that entered the public domain on January 1, 2011.
Names Country Birth Death Occupation Notable workJ.-H. Rosny aîné AuthorLes Xipéhuz and The Death of the Earth Walter Benjamin Philosopher The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction E. F. Benson Writer, archeologist Mapp and Lucia series: Queen Lucia, Miss Mapp John Buchan Writer, politician List of works by John BuchanPedro de Alcântara Mikhail Bulgakov Writer Heart of a Dog Jan F. E. Celliers Writer Die Vlakte en ander gedigte Louis Fles Businessman, author Hitler, hervormer of misdadiger? Walter Hasenclever Poet, playwright The Son Verner von Heidenstam Writer Folkunga Trädet John A. Hobson Economist List of works by John A. Hobson Paul Klee Artist Paul Klee Notebooks Jan Kubelík Composer Selma Lagerlöf Writer, teacher Gösta Berling's Saga George Lansbury Politician, editor What I Saw in RussiaPhilip Francis Nowlan AuthorArmageddon 2419 A.D. Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer WriterThe End of the 19th Century, Hymn to Nirvana Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao Writer Works Silvestre Revueltas Composer Homenaje a Federico García Lorca Anton Hansen Tammsaare Writer Truth and Justice, Menno ter Braak Writer Het nationaal-socialisme als rancuneleer Leon Trotsky Marxist theorist List of books by Leon Trotsky Édouard Vuillard Artist The Seamstress
Entered the public domain in countries with life + 50 years In most countries of Africa and Asia, as well as Belarus, Bolivia, Canada, New Zealand, Egypt and Uruguay; a work enters the public domain 50 years after the creator's death.
NamesCountryBirthDeathOccupationNotable work Chris van Abkoude Writer, Novelist Pietje BellLady Cynthia AsquithAuthor and editorThis Mortal CoilEric Temple BellMathematician and science fiction writer Albert Camus Philosopher, author The StrangerVictor Rousseau EmanuelAuthorJohn Russell FearnAuthor Elsie J. Oxenham Children's novelist Abbey Series of booksEden PhillpottsAuthor, poet and dramatistThe Farmer's Wife Nevil Shute Aeronautical engineer, novelist On the Beach Victor Sjöström Film director, actor The Phantom Carriage Dadasaheb Torne Film director Shree Pundalik
Entering the public domain in countries with life + 80 years Spain (for creators that died before 1987), Colombia and Equatorial Guinea have a copyright term of life + 80 years. The list is sorted alphabetically and includes one notable work that entered the public domain on 1 January 2011 for each creator.
+List of authorsNamesCountryBirthDeathOccupationNotable work Thomas Bulch Composer Memories of England Henry Creamer Composer, lyricistCharles Derennes Author, essayist and poetArthur Conan Doyle Author and physicianThe Lost World, Sherlock Holmes
Entering the public domain in the United States
In the United States, the copyright status of works extends for the life of the author or artists, plus 70 years. If the work is owned by a corporation, then the copyright extends 95 years.
Due to the passing of the Copyright Term Extension Act (Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act) in 1998, works never registered or published before January 1, 1978, and whose authors died before 1941 entered the public domain in this jurisdiction on January 1, 2011. Other works would not enter the public domain here until 2019.
Worldwide Nina Paley donated her 2008 film Sita Sings the Blues through a CC0 copyright notice.
See also 1960 in literature for deaths of writers Public Domain Day Creative Commons
References