On Jan. 1, 2024, a new set of copyrighted works from 1928—and sound recordings from 1923—entered the public domain. Here are some of the famous works you can now use, repurpose, adapt, publish, etc. without permission or payment.
- A version of Mickey Mouse (learn more, it’s complicated)
- Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
- The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht (in the original German)
- Orlando by Virginia Woolf
- The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
- Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
- “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)” by Cole Porter
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
