When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of works is not uniform. The following lists list creators whose works entered the public domain in 2025.
Countries with life + 50 years In most countries of Africa and Asia, as well as Belarus, Bolivia and New Zealand, a work enters the public domain 50 years after the creator's death. NamesCountryDeathOccupationNotable work Jean Absil Composer Gilbert Archey Zoologist The Moa, a Study of the DinornithiformesMiguel Ángel Asturias Poet-diplomat El Señor Presidente Farid al-Atrash Composer Kurt Atterberg Composer Compositions H. E. Bates Writer The Darling Buds of May Erick Berry February 1974 Writer The Winged Girl of Knossos Bobby Bloom Singer-songwriter "Montego Bay" Hector Bolitho Writer Albert the Good and the Victorian Reign Buddhadeb Bosu 1974 Writer Jorge Camargo Spolidore Composer "Chatica Linda" Rosario Castellanos Poet, novelist The Nine Guardians Nellie Coad Teacher, writer Phillis Emily Cunnington Physician, historian Handbook of English Mediaeval Costume Maurice Duggan Writer Summer in the Gravel Pit Duke Ellington Composer Duke Ellington discography Julius Evola Philosopher Revolt Against the Modern WorldAllal al-Fassi Writer The Independence Movements in Arab North Africa Dorothy Fields Film lyricist "The Way You Look Tonight" Louise Fitzhugh Writer Harriet the Spy Georgette Heyer Writer List of works by Georgette HeyerAli Ismael Composer Fida'iMarie Luise Kaschnitz Writer Menschen und Dinge 1945 Erich Kästner Poet, screenwriter Emil and the DetectivesMuhammad Ayub Khan Politician Books Pär Lagerkvist Writer Barabbas Eve Langley Writer The Pea-Pickers Charles Lindbergh Aviator, writer "WE", The Spirit of St. Louis Eric Linklater Writer, poet The Wind on the Moon Walter Lippmann Writer Public Opinion Margaret MacPherson Writer, journalist A Symposium Against War P. Schuyler Miller Writer Henry de Monfreid Adventurer, writer Secrets of the Red Sea Stanley Mullen 1974 Artist, writer Kinsmen of the Dragon Leslie Munro Politician, writer United Nations: hope for a divided world Douglas Robb 1974 Physician, writer Medical Odyssey David Alfaro Siqueiros Painter, muralist Portrait of the Bourgeoisie (1939–1940), The March of Humanity (1957–1971) William Sloane Writer To Walk the Night Zaharia Stancu Writer Through the Ashes of the Empire Sheila Stuart 1974 Writer Alison's Highland Holiday Jacqueline Susann Writer Valley of the Dolls Sándor Szathmári Writer, mechanical engineer Kazohinia Whanki Kim Painter What Form, Shall We Meet Again? () Robert Charles Zaehner Scholar Zurvan, Mysticism, Our Savage God
Countries with life + 60 years
In Bangladesh, Haiti, India, and Venezuela a work enters the public domain 60 years after the creator's death. NamesCountryDeathOccupationNotable work Dr. Atl Painter, writer Fernando Leal Painter, muralist, lithographer, engraver Bharathidasan Poet "Tamil Thai Valthu" Birinchi Kumar Barua Scholar, writer Carlos Brandt Writer Guru Dutt Film director Pyaasa Ian Fleming Writer James Bond Mushtaq Hussain Khan Musician Jawaharlal Nehru Politician An Autobiography
Countries with life + 70 years
Except for Belarus (Life + 50 years) and Spain (which has a copyright term of Life + 80 years for creators that died before 1988), a work enters the public domain in Europe 70 years after the creator's death, if it was published during the creator's lifetime. The same term applies in much of South America, and parts of western Africa. As such, the works of all authors who died in 1954 entered the European public domain in 2025.
Two of the most important authors whose works entered the European public domain in 2025 were Henri Matisse, one of the most revolutionary artists of the early 20th century and a key figure in multiple art movements; and Frida Kahlo, arguably the most recognized Mexican painter. At this time, the latter's works remained copyrighted in her native country. Other significant examples of authors whose works entered the public domain included actor and film director Lionel Barrymore (already partially public domain in his native United States), architects Auguste Perret and William Van Alen (the respective designers of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and the Chrysler Building in New York City), cartoonists Bud Fisher and George McManus, Italian composers Franco Alfano and Achille Longo, German composers Walter Braunfels and Herms Niel, Austrian composer Fred Raymond, American composers Charles Ives and Arthur Johnston (the latter of whom wrote "Cocktails for Two"), Man with a Movie Camera director Dziga Vertov, founding father of Chinese cinema Zhang Shichuan (already public domain in his native China), French painters André Derain and , Portuguese sculptor Maximiano Alves, gospel blues musician Washington Phillips, Lost Horizon author James Hilton, British novelist Francis Brett Young, Gigi author Colette, German author of the Dr. Mabuse novels Norbert Jacques, German writer and filmmaker Thea von Harbou, Italian writer , American novelist Maxwell Bodenheim, and Australian writer Miles Franklin. Spanish writer Jacinto Benavente's works also entered the public domain in European countries other than his native Spain. The publications of mathematicians Gino Loria and Alan Turing and physicist Enrico Fermi also entered the public domain, along with an experimental film by the inventor of the cinematograph, Auguste Lumière.
In Argentina, the plays, screenplays and tango lyrics by Manuel Romero entered the public domain; he died on October 3, 1954, so under Argentine law, his individual works entered the public domain on January 1, 2025 (70 years from January 1 of the year following the death). However, this does not mean that his films are in the public domain, since Argentine law stipulates that copyright protection for a film lasts 50 years from the death of the screenwriter, producer or director.
Countries with life + 80 years
Spain has a copyright term of life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987. In Colombia and Equatorial Guinea, a work enters the public domain 80 years after the creator's death. NamesCountryDeathOccupationNotable work Joaquín Álvarez Quintero Playwright Miguel Asín Palacios Scholar El Islam cristianizado Manuel Chaves Nogales Writer, journalist Juan Belmonte, matador de toros; su vida y sus hazañas Enrique Díez Canedo Poet Francisco Gómez-Jordana Sousa Politician Milicia y Diplomacia: Diarios Del Conde de Jordana, 1936–1944 Elías Mauricio Soto Uribe Instrumentalist Antonio Videgain Composer
Russia
Russia has a copyright term of life + 70 years in general, with two special provisions: extra 4 years for those who fought in or worked during the so-called Great Patriotic War in 1941–1945, and/or copyright term starting from the date of rehabilitation for unlawfully prosecuted and posthumously rehabilitated. 1954 marks the first large wave of posthumous rehabilitations. NamesCountryDeathOccupationNotable work Pavel Bazhov Writer The Malachite Box Yustin Djanelidze Doctor A case of the repair of an injury of the ascending aorta Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky Writer The New Gulliver Andrey Kryachkov Architect 100-Flat Building Nikolai Luzin Mathematician Lusin's theorem Nikolai Myaskovsky Composer List of compositions by Nikolai Myaskovsky Antonina Nezhdanova Singer Vocalise Historian Lenin in the Brest days Viktor Vesnin Architect Palace of Culture of the Proletarsky district, Moscow
Australia and Canada
In 2004 copyright in Australia changed from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, in line with the United States and the European Union. But the change was not made retroactive (unlike the 1995 change in the European Union which brought some (British and possibly other) authors back into copyright, especially those who died from 1925 to 1944). Hence, the work of an author who died before 1955 is normally in the public domain in Australia; but the copyright of authors was extended to 70 years after death for those who died in 1955 or later, and no more Australian authors would come out of copyright until 1 January 2026 (those who died in 1955).
Similarly, Canada amended its Copyright Act in 2022 from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, coming into force on December 30, 2022, but does not revive expired copyright. No more new Canadian authors will come out of copyright until 1 January 2043 (those who died in 1972). Crown copyright was not changed, thus any government works published in 1974 entered the public domain in 2025.
United States
Under the Copyright Term Extension Act, books and other works published in 1929 and films released in 1929 entered the public domain in 2025. Unpublished works whose authors died in 1954 also entered the public domain. The character Captain Easy, Popeye the Sailor Man, Disney's Horace Horsecollar, and Hergé's Tintin entered the public domain through their respective debut appearances in 2025. The same happened for the first Tarzan strips illustrated by Hal Foster. On the other hand, the character Buck Rogers (who also first appeared in U.S. newspapers the same year) was already in the public domain as his first strips failed to have their copyrights renewed, despite claims to the contrary. The Looney Tunes series' first star character, Bosko, was also already in the public domain without proper renewal.
Two notable music compositions that entered the public domain in 2025 are George Gershwin's An American in Paris and Maurice Ravel's Boléro; though composed in 1928, they were not published until 1929. Among the popular songs that entered the public domain that year are Fats Waller's song "Ain't Misbehavin'", Cole Porter's song "What Is This Thing Called Love?", the musical number "Singin' in the Rain", "Tip Toe Through the Tulips", "Happy Days Are Here Again", "Am I Blue?", "You Were Meant For Me", "Honeysuckle Rose" (also written by Waller), "Can't We Be Friends?", and "Without A Song". Sound recordings that were published in 1924 also entered the public domain, including the first recordings of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, Jelly Roll Morton's "King Porter Stomp", Irving Berlin's songs "Lazy" and "What'll I Do?", "It Had to Be You", "California, Here I Come", and "Somebody Loves Me".
Notable films that entered the public domain in 2025 include the following:
The Cocoanuts, the first film of the Marx Brothers; The Broadway Melody, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's first musical film and the first sound film (and second overall film) to win the Academy Award for Best Picture; The Hollywood Revue, MGM's second musical film, starring Conrad Nagel and Jack Benny, which popularized "Singin' in the Rain"; Walt Disney's first Silly Symphony cartoons, including The Skeleton Dance; Blackmail, Alfred Hitchcock's first sound film and the first British sound film; Hallelujah, one of the first films with an all-African American cast produced by a major studio; The Wild Party, Clara Bow's first sound film; Welcome Danger, Harold Lloyd's first sound film; On with the Show!, the first sound film in color; Pandora’s Box (Die Büchse der Pandora), directed by G. W. Pabst and starring Louise Brooks; Show Boat, adapted from and featuring some songs of the 1927 musical; The Black Watch, John Ford's first sound film; Spite Marriage, Buster Keaton's final full-length feature as a director; Say It with Songs, the first all-talking film starring Al Jolson; Dynamite, Cecil B. DeMille's first sound film; Gold Diggers of Broadway, directed by Roy del Ruth, the second sound film in color; Mickey Mouse's cartoons released in 1929, including The Karnival Kid (his first speaking appearance); the sound versions of Mickey's earlier cartoons Plane Crazy and The Gallopin' Gaucho; Oswald the Lucky Rabbit's surviving cartoons from the Winkler studio and his first Walter Lantz-era releases; Small Talk, the first sound film in the Our Gang series;