The new year brings new material into the public domain, with works from 1930 that include nine new Mickey Mouse cartoons, Betty Boop, a Marx Brothers movie and novels from William Faulkner, Agatha Christie and Langston Hughes.

Under U.S. law, the copyright on thousands of creations from 1930 — including films, books, musical compositions and other works -- expired on Jan. 1, 2026. Public Domain Day -- Jan. 1 annually -- means the public is free to use, share and adapt the material from a particular year.

“I think this is my favorite crop of works yet, which is saying a lot,” Jennifer Jenkins, the director of Duke University Law School’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, told NPR.

In addition to the nine Mickey Mouse cartoons, early appearances by Pluto -- who was known as Rover in 1930 -- are now available to the public.

“That’s not only exciting in itself, but it’s really an opportunity to look back at the history of these two incredible animation studios, Fleischer and Disney, and how their styles are imprinted in the DNA of today’s cartoons,” Jenkins said. “That’s just a fun rabbit hole.”

Films from 1930 include the Marx Brothers classic, “Animal Crackers,” “Another Fine Mess” with Laurel and Hardy and an early lineup of The 3 Stooges appearing as firemen with Ted Healy in “Soup to Nuts”.

More serious films include “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which won a pair of Academy Awards; "The Big Trail," which featured John Wayne in his first starring role; “The King of Jazz‚” which marked the screen debut of Bing Crosby; and “Hell’s Angels,” directed by Howard Hughes and the first film featuring Jean Harlow in a starring role.

Literary works now in the public domain include books by William Faulkner (“As I Lay Dying”), Agatha Christie ("Murder at the Vicarage“ and ”Giant’s Bread”), Dashiell Hammett (“The Maltese Falcon”), Langston Hughes (“Not Without Laughter”), Evelyn Waugh (“Vile Bodies”), Franz Kafka (“The Castle”) and Dorothy L. Sayers (“Strong Poison”).

Other literary works are “The Little Engine that Could” by Watty Piper and the first four books of the Nancy Drew detective series.

Sound recordings become public domain after 100 years. That includes the 1925 songs, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,” by Marian Anderson, and “The St. Louis Blues” by Bessie Smith, which also featured Louis Armstrong.

Musical compositions that are now available for reuse include “Georgia on My Mind” by Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Carmichael, and “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” popularized by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, the Mamas & the Papas, Anne Murray and Michael Bublé.

“To tell new stories, we draw from older ones,” Duke Law professors Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle wrote in an annual survey of works entering the public domain. “One work of art inspires another — that is how the public domain feeds creativity.”

A reminder, though -- the new items now in the public domain are from 1930 only. Newer, revised versions are still copyrighted, and trademark rights still apply to names and designs when used on merchandise.

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