When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works entered the public domain in 2026. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.
Entering the public domain in 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 workJohn AkarEntertainer, writer, diplomatHigh We Exalt Thee, Realm of the FreeLeroy AndersonComposerSleigh Ride, Blue Tango, The Typewriter, The Syncopated ClockIvo AndrićWriter, PoetThe Bridge on the DrinaPablo AntonioArchitectIdeal Theater, Life Theater, White Cross Orphanage, Capitan Luis Gonzaga BuildingHannah ArendtWriter, Political philosopherThe Human Condition, Eichmann in JerusalemMikhail BakhtinPhilosopherProblems of Dostoevsky's Poetics, Rabelais and His WorldThomas Hart BentonPainterJames BlishWriterCities in Flight, Star Trek novelizationsArthur BlissComposerCompositionsTim BuckleyGuitarist, Singer, SongwriterDiscographyChiang Kai-shekPresident of the Republic of ChinaChina's Destiny ()Luigi DallapiccolaComposerCompositionsLefty FrizzellSinger, SongwriterDiscographyKonstantine GamsakhurdiaWriterThe Right Hand of the Grand MasterFernando Guillén MartínezJournalist, historian, essayistBob MontanaCartoonist, ArtistArchieBernard HerrmannComposerFilm scoresEdna Mayne HullScience fiction author Planets for SaleJulian HuxleyEvolutionary biologistWorksRowland V. LeeDirector, Actor, Screenwriter, ProducerMurray LeinsterWriterBibliography Herbert List Photographer Collection at Deutsche Fotothek Composer Fanfare after 17th Century DancesElijah MuhammadLeader of the Nation of IslamMessage to the Blackman in AmericaEfraín Orozco MoralesMusician, composer""Pier Paolo PasoliniFilm directorThe Gospel According to St. Matthew, Salò, or the 120 Days of SodomSheikh Mujibur RahmanPoliticianBooksJacqueline NovaMusician, composerSarvepalli RadhakrishnanPhilosopher, President of IndiaThe Dhammapada, The Principal UpanishadsAlfred Hamish ReedWriter, publisher The Gumdiggers: The Story of Kauri GumLuis Ariel ReyMusician, songwriter Maria Elizabeth Rothmann Author Nora Sanderson Romance writer Hospital in New ZealandRod SerlingScreenwriter, Playwright, Television producerThe Twilight ZoneR. C. SherriffPlaywright, writerJourney's End, The Hopkins ManuscriptDmitri ShostakovichComposerCompositionsNoble SissleJazz composer, LyricistShuffle Along, I'm Just Wild About HarryChristopher StracheyComputer scientistCPL, Fundamental Concepts in Programming Languages Bill Sutch Economist Poverty and Progress in New Zealand, The Quest for Security in New Zealand Alejandro Tovar Musician, composer ""Arnold J. ToynbeeHistorianA Study of HistoryThornton WilderPlaywright, NovelistThe Bridge of San Luis Rey, Our TownP. G. WodehousePlaywright, NovelistBibliography Fritz Wotruba Sculptor Wotruba Church Giselda Zani Poet, short story writer, critic Roger Lescot1975Orientalist, diplomat, researcher of KurdishKang Sheng16 December 1975Politician, caligrapher
Entering the public domain in countries with life + 60 years
In Bangladesh, India, and Venezuela a work enters the public domain 60 years after the creator's death.
NamesCountryDeathOccupationNotable workAhn Eak-taiComposerAegukga, Symphonic Fantasy KoreaKatharine AnthonyBiographerThe LambsJacques AudibertiPlaywright, poet, novelistMartin BuberPhilosopherI and ThouThornton W. BurgessChildren's book authorWinston ChurchillPrime Minister of the United KingdomThe Second World War, A History of the English-Speaking PeoplesThomas B. CostainJournalistMaria DąbrowskaNovelist, essayist, playwrightNoce i dnieT. S. EliotPoet, essayist, playwrightWorksWalter Evans-WentzAnthropologistEnglish translation of The Tibetan Book of the DeadEleanor FarjeonChildren's writer and poet"Morning Has Broken"Lorraine HansberryJournalist, playwrightA Raisin in the SunJohn Davy HaywardLiterary editor, bibliophileShirley JacksonNovelist, short story writer"The Lottery", Life Among the Savages, The Haunting of Hill HouseRandall JarrellPoet, novelistPictures from an InstitutionDorothy KilgallenNewspaper columnist and journalistPercy LubbockEssayist, critic, biographerW. Somerset MaughamNovelist, dramatist, short story writerWorksJohn MetcalfeNovelist, short story writerBetty MillerWriter, journalist, novelistEdgar MittelholzerNovelistFan S. NoliBishop and poetPark Su-geunPainterWoman Pounding Grain, A Wash Place, Old Tree and WomanEdogawa RanpoWriter of mystery storiesSyngman RheePresident of South KoreaThe Spirit of IndependenceAksel SandemoseNovelistArthur M. Schlesinger Sr.HistorianJack SpicerPoetHoward SpringNovelistT. S. StriblingNovelistJun'ichirō TanizakiNovelistComposerBarley Field, The Leaf Boat, Gwangbokjeol song
Entering the public domain in countries with life + 70 years
With the exception of Belarus (Life + 50 years) and 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. For previously unpublished material, those who publish it first will have the publication rights for 25 years. The same term applies in much of South America, and parts of western Africa. As such, the works of all authors who died in 1955 entered the European public domain in 2026.
2026 marks the first year since 2005 that works entered the public domain in Australia, which changed its copyright term length from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law in 2004, as stated in Australia's own section below.
One of the most significant authors whose works entered the European public domain in 2026 is German writer Thomas Mann, whose novels (Buddenbrooks, Doctor Faustus, and others) are known for their high symbolism and their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual. Other notable examples of authors whose works entered the public domain include French writer Léon Werth, Italian writer , British writer Clemence Housman, American writers James Agee (the author of A Death in the Family) and Dale Carnegie (the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People), Space Lawyer author Nat Schachner, poets Wallace Stevens and Paul Claudel, Swiss composer Arthur Honegger, Italian composer Francesco Balilla Pratella, Russian composer Isaak Dunayevsky, "Charleston" writer James P. Johnson, American film director Lloyd Bacon and screenwriters William C. deMille and Robert Riskin, and French artists Yves Tanguy and Fernand Léger. The works of Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset also entered the public domain in European countries other than his native Spain. The publications of physicist Albert Einstein, physician Sir Alexander Fleming, mathematician Hermann Weyl, and economist Herbert Stanley Jevons additionally entered the public domain.
Entering the public domain in 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. Names Country Death Occupation Notable workLuis Antonio CalvoMusician, composerFour intermezzosFulgencio GarcíaMusician, composer"La Gata Golosa"Andrés de Santa Maria Painter En la Playa de MacutoIgnacio ZuloagaPainter
Russia and Ukraine
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 (that is, the Eastern Front of World War II), and/or copyright term starting from the date of rehabilitation for unlawfully prosecuted and posthumously rehabilitated.
Ukraine also has a special provision that the copyright term starts from the date of rehabilitation for unlawfully prosecuted and posthumously rehabilitated, which applies only to authors who died in 1951 or later.
NamesCountryDeathOccupationNotable work Vasily Mikhaylovich Alekseyev , worked during the war Sinologist, translator Fox's Wiles Alexei Badayev , worked during the war Politician How Bolshevik deputies fought in the State Duma , worked during the war Literary scholar Biographies of Pushkin and Lermontov Vladimir Kirshon , rehabilitated 1955 Writer Miraculous Alloy Georgii Nadson , rehabilitated 1955 Biologist Changements des caractères héréditaires, provoqués expérimentalement et la création de nouvelles races stables chez les levures , rehabilitated 1955 Aerospace engineer Advanced ideas of Soviet aircraft designers Viktor Savin , rehabilitated 1955 Writer State Anthem of the Komi Republic Efim Shchadenko , fought in the war General Donbass and its armed struggle Nikolai Vavilov , rehabilitated 1955 Agronomist, geneticist Origin and Geography of Cultivated Plants
Australia
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. 2026 was the first year since 2005 that new Australian authors came out of copyright, with those who died in 1955. Specific Australian authors whose works entered the public domain this year include writer Charles Shaw and artists John Radecki and Antonio Dattilo Rubbo.
Copyright for Australian newspaper content originally published in 1955 also expired on 1 January 2026, which now allows content from 1955 newspapers to be published on Trove, the National Library of Australia's online database.
Canada
In 2022, copyright in Canada changed from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, in line with the United States and the European Union. But the change, like Australia's before it, was not made retroactive. 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 published in 1930, films released in 1930, and other works published in 1930 entered the public domain in 2026. Unpublished works whose authors died in 1955 also entered the public domain.
The major works of literature that entered the public domain in 2026 are William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying, Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon as a complete novel, Agatha Christie's first Miss Marple novel The Murder at the Vicarage, the original edition of the first Nancy Drew mystery story The Secret of the Old Clock by pseudonymous author Carolyn Keene, the first Elson-Gray Readers books featuring Dick and Jane by William S. Gray, Noël Coward's play Private Lives, T. S. Eliot's poem "Ash Wednesday", Evelyn Waugh's novel Vile Bodies, John Dos Passos' novel The 42nd Parallel (the first book in his U.S.A. trilogy), Edna Ferber's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Cimarron, Dorothy L. Sayers' crime novel Strong Poison, J. B. Priestly's novel Angel Pavement, Olaf Stapledon's science fiction novel Last and First Men, Sigmund Freud's book Civilization and Its Discontents in its original German, W. Somerset Maugham's novel Cakes and Ale, Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness, and the children's books The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, and The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth.