Public domain characters are fair game for anyone to use, and a few of the biggest ones have made appearances in Marvel and DC comics. In 2023, lots of classic stories will have their copyrights expire and will enter the public domain, including the last of the Sherlock Holmes stories from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Batman was created in 1939, which means, under current law, the character enters the public domain in 2034. The Joker was created in 1940 and enters the public domain in 2035. If the U.S. Congress hadn't expanded copyright terms, both Batman and the Joker would already be free to use.
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Over the next several years, several prominent DC characters are going to become public domain. Superman becomes public domain in 2034 followed by Batman in 2035 and then Wonder Womanin 2036.
The copyright term for a comic book published in the 1930s up through 1978 ends at the end of the year 95 years after initial publication. Thus, Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman and cover dated June 1938, will enter public domain beginning January 1, 2034.
5 expectations when DC Characters enter Public Domain (Part 1)
Is Bugs Bunny in the public domain?
Mickey Mouse, Batman, Superman and Bugs Bunny all become public domain in the next 10 years. The Hundred Acre Wood has seen some pretty unsettling things over the years.
In the US, Popeye is considered “work for hire” because “Segar was an employee of King Features Syndicate when he introduced Popeye into the Thimble Theatre comic strip.” This means that Popeye will enter the public domain in the US on January 1, 2025. But wait, there's more!
But because of his Norse origins, the character actually comes from the public domain. While Thor does also exist in DC Comics, that version pales in comparison to the popularity of Marvel's iteration of the character.
Will the Marvel Comics ever enter the public domain? Yes, but it won't matter much. The first Marvel comic books go into the public domain on January 1, 2035. After that, the rest will follow, year by year, ninety-five years after publication of each issue.
So who owns Superman? The copyright on the Superman character is now jointly owned by DC Comics and by Joanne Siegel and Laura Siegel Lawson. Most works featuring Superman – comic books, movies, cartoons, etc. – are still property of DC.
Organizations, both fictional and those originating in the real world, may use the official logo as the main image. This however should not be used for superhero organizations, notably the Avengers of various realities.
As a public domain character with an established reputation, Robin Hood was an attractive feature for comic book publishers from the birth of the medium.
Pooh, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Eeyore and Christopher Robin all became public domain on January 1 last year when the copyright on A.A. Milne's 1926 book, Winnie-the-Pooh, with illustrations by E.H. Shepard, expired.
The rights to the series have been owned by The Muppets Studio (a division of The Walt Disney Company) since they were acquired from The Jim Henson Company in 2004.
HLT: A few major Disney characters, such as Steamboat Willie and Winnie the Pooh, are now in the public domain, and others are expected to join them in the coming years.
While it is likely one of the best-selling books ever published, the actual total sales since its first publication are unknown due to the many reductions and different versions. The story has been a public domain work in the U.S. since 1940.
For example, the depiction of Snow White in the 1937 movie “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” will enter public domain sometime in the 2030s likely. But the character as Disney has portrayed her is still trademarked.
Evans went back into mainstream journalism and died in 1971. Grabbing an original copy of All-Negro Comics' only issue with Lion Man's story is nearly impossible. There don't seem to be any official places to read it online but it is in the public domain now so there are PDFs and such to explore.
Today, animation historians refer to the original Tom and Jerry characters as Van Beuren's Tom and Jerry. Today, all of these cartoons are in the public domain.
Due to the original novel being written so long ago (1897) the character that Bram Stoker created has now — has long since — passed in to the public domain, along with (presumably) Lucy, Mina, Jonathan and the others who appear, along with Abraham Van Helsing.
How long until SpongeBob is public domain? SpongeBob was created in 1997, but his show didn't come out until 1999. SpongeBob enters the public domain in 2093.
The beloved mouse that is nearly a century old will soon enter public domain — the original Mickey Mouse's copyright expires in 2024. This anthropomorphic mouse is recognizable even by the silhouette of his ears and, in some ways, has been the face of The Walt Disney Co. since his 1928 creation.
The Betty Boop character is a Fleischer trademark. But–Betty Boop 1930s movie posters were not copyrighted (or not renewed?) as standalone items, so are public domain. Fleischer tried to use its active trademark on the character to stop a third party's use of the ancient PD art. Judge said this was a no-go.
