When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of works that entered the public domain in 2009. 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 (Life + 50 years) and Spain (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, 2009.
Names Country Birth Death Occupation Notable work Lascelles Abercrombie literary critic, poet. An Essay Towards a Theory of Art, Poetry, Its Music and Meaning Karel Čapek science fiction writer, playwright R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), War with the Newts Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay short story writer, novelist. Parineeta, Devdas Afonso Celso de Assis Figueiredo Júnior educator, poet and historian WorksÉmile Cohl Caricaturist, cartoonist and animator Gabriele D'Annunzio novelist, playwright, poet. Il Piacere (Pleasure), The Intruder, Il trionfo della morte (Triumph of Death) Ovid Densusianu folklorist, linguist, literary historian, philologist, poet. Istoria literaturii române, Histoire de la langue roumaine Paola Drigo short story writer, novelist. Fine d'anno, Maria Zef James Forbes playwright, screenwriter. The Chorus Lady, The Famous Mrs. Fair Robert Herrick novelist. Web of Life James Weldon Johnson anthologist, novelist, poet. "Lift Every Voice and Sing", The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man Willem Kloos literary critic, poet. editor of De Nieuwe Gids (The New Guide) E. V. Lucas biographer, essayist, humorist, novelist, playwright, poet, short story writer. What a Life! Osip Mandelstam poet. Puteshestviye v Armeniyu (Journey to Armenia), Razgovor o Dante (Conversation about Dante)Georges Méliès Film directorA Trip to the Moon, The Impossible Voyage, The Merry Frolics of Satan and The Conquest of the Pole Migjeni poet. Trajtat e Mbinjeriut (The shape of the Superman), Kanga skandaloze (Scandalous song) Lady Ottoline Morrell memoirist, patron of the arts. two volumes of memoirs Momčilo Nastasijević dramatist, novelist, poet. The Unevoked, Master Mladen's Daughter Henry Newbolt historian, novelist, poet. Vitaï Lampada (the torch of life), Drake's Drum Branislav Nušić playwright, essayist, novelist. A Member of the Parliament, A Suspicious PersonGustave Le Rouge AuthorThe Vampires of Mars Olivia Shakespear novelist, playwright, patron of the arts. Love on a Mortal Lease, Uncle Hilary Konstantin Stanislavski acting theorist. My Life in ArtWage Rudolf Soepratman composer, journalist, teacher Di Timur Matahari, Indonesia Raya, Ibu Kita KartiniE. G. Swain AuthorThe Stoneground Ghost Tales Armando Palacio Valdés novelist. The Joy of Captain Ribot Owen Wister biographer, historian, Western fiction writer The Virginian, Ulysses S. Grant, Roosevelt: The Story of a Friendship Thomas Wolfe short story writer, novelist Look Homeward, Angel, You Can't Go Home Again
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 Eleanor Hallowell Abbott novelist, poet, short story writer. Molly Make-Believe, But Once A Year: Christmas Stories James Branch Cabell fantasy writer. Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice, Biography of the Life of ManuelE. Everett Evans Science fiction author Margiad Evans illustrator, novelist, poet. Country Dance, Autobiography, A Ray of Darkness, The Nightingale Silenced Dorothy Canfield Fisher literary critic, memoirist, novelist, short story writer, translator. Understood Betsy Marjorie Flack children's writer, illustrator. writer of The Story About Ping, illustrator of The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes Angelina Weld Grimké playwright, poet. Rachel Michael Joseph Writer, publisher. How to Write Serial Fiction, Puss in Books: A collection of stories about cats, The Sword in the Scabbard Cyril M. Kornbluth science fiction writer The Little Black Bag, The Marching Morons Henry Kuttner Writer of fantasy, horror fiction, and science fiction. The Graveyard Rats, Mimsy Were the Borogoves Rose Macaulay biographer, novelist, travel writer. The World My Wilderness, The Towers of TrebizondJohnston McCulleyAuthorZorro G. E. Moore journal editor, philosopher. Principia Ethica, A Defence of Common Sense Charles Langbridge Morgan novelist, playwright. The Burning Glass Alfred Noyes playwright, poet, short story writer. The Highwayman, Shakespeare's Kingdom Seumas O'Sullivan magazine editor, poet. Twilight People, Verses Sacred and Profane Elliot Paul journalist, novelist, screenwriter. Life and Death of a Spanish Town, Linden on the Saugus Branch H. G. Peter Cartoonist Wonder Woman Nicolae Petrescu-Comnen social scientist. Accidente profesionale (Work-related Accidents), Câteva considerațiuni asupra socialismului și asupra roadelor sale (Some Musings on Socialism and Its Results Peig Sayers seanchaí (traditional Gaelic storyteller and historian) . Peig, Machnamh Seanmhná (An Old Woman's Reflections) Robert W. Service poet. The Shooting of Dan McGrew, The Cremation of Sam McGee J. C. Squire historian, literary critic, magazine editor, poet. Robin Hood: a farcical romantic pastoral , Shakespeare as a Dramatist Ethel Turner children's writer, novelist. Seven Little Australians Geoffrey Willans children's writer, humorist, novelist, screenwriter. Down with Skool! A Guide to School Life for Tiny Pupils and their Parents, Whizz for Atomms: A Guide to Survival in the 20th Century for Fellow Pupils, their Doting Maters, Pompous Paters and Any Others who are Interested Harry Cohn Filmmaker
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 1939 entered the public domain in this jurisdiction on January 1, 2009. Other works would not enter the public domain here until 2019.
Worldwide In March 2009, the CC0-license or Creative Commons 0-license is introduced. It is a universal waiver of copyright that can be used when copyright owners want to permanently surrender rights they may have in a work, thereby placing the work into the public domain.
The Creative Commons published the study Defining "Noncommercial": A Study of How the Online Population Understands "Noncommercial Use." directly into the public domain through a CC0-license.
See also 1908 in literature and 1958 in literature for deaths of writers Public Domain Day Creative Commons
References
External links Public Domain Day 2009: Freeing the libraries HAPPY PUBLIC DOMAIN DAY - JANUARY 1, 2009 - NEW ADDITIONS TO UNPUBLISHED PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE U.S.