Creators rejoice: The original Mickey Mouse is now in the public domain after Disney's copyright on the image expired on January 1.
The change only applies to the version of Mickey from the 1928 animated short "Steamboat Willie" and not his more modern likenesses, which are still protected by copyright law.
Disney's most famous mascot may be the best known, but isn't the only artistic work whose copyright expires this year, meaning the work can be freely copied, shared, and built on.
Thousands of classic songs, books, and other artistic works published in 1928 are entering the public domain after their 95-year term expires, including films by comedy giants Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, D.H. Lawrence's "Lady Chatterley's Lover" and Cole Porter's "Let's Do It."
Jennifer Jenkins, director of Duke's Center for the Study of the Public Domain, catalogs the expiring copyrights on what's come to be known as Public Domain Day. She says the works entering the public domain this year represent a snapshot of the cultural struggles of the time, some of which are still relevant today, from books that were banned for obscenity to works that explored gender and sexuality.
"We celebrate the emergence of thousands of works into the public domain, where everyone can build on them, remake them, present new versions of them, or use them for education or simply enjoyment," she wrote.
Here are some of the famous characters and creative works that enter the public domain in 2024: