{"id":7578,"date":"2026-01-05T09:35:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T15:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/?p=7578"},"modified":"2026-01-05T09:37:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T15:37:07","slug":"heres-what-entered-the-public-domain-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/05\/heres-what-entered-the-public-domain-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s what entered the public domain in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Montage<\/a>
COURTESY: THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF PUBLIC DOMAIN AT DUKE LAW SCHOOL<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

With the start of a new year, a new wealth of materials has entered the public domain. When a work enters the public domain, the public no longer needs to seek the artist\u2019s permission to copy, build on, or adapt the work. This opens the door for creative riffs on the classics and makes digital content available free of charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Jan. 1, 2026, thousands of copyrighted works from 1930 and sound recordings from 1925 are in the public domain. This year, we\u2019re excited this includes the first four Nancy Drew novels, including works by ghost writer Mildred Wirt Benson<\/a> whose materials are saved and available to the public through the Iowa Women\u2019s Archives<\/a>. You can also find Agatha Christie\u2019s The Murder at the Vicarage<\/em> and William Faulkner\u2019s As I Lay Dying<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Composers exploring inspiration at the Music Library<\/a> can now freely share and riff on the following musical compositions: I Got Rhythm<\/em>, Georgia on My Mind<\/em>, and Dream a Little Dream of Me<\/em>. Over at the Art Library<\/a>, artists can now use and references some works by Piet Mondrian, Edward Steichen, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Jos\u00e9 Clemente Orozco, and more. Finally, there are films, sound recordings, characters, comics, and cartoons to peruse, share, and use in new work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find creative works recently added to the public domain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n