2023 in public domain

When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works entered the public domain in 2023. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.

With the exception of Belarus (Life + 50 years) and Spain (which has a copyright term of Life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987), a work enters the public domain in Europe 70 years after the creator's death, if it was published during the creator's lifetime. For previously unpublished material, those who publish it first will have the publication rights for 25 years. The list is sorted alphabetically and includes a notable work of the creator.

In Bangladesh, India, and Venezuela a work enters the public domain 60 years after the creator's death.

In most countries of Africa and Asia, as well as Belarus, Bolivia, New Zealand, Egypt and Uruguay, a work enters the public domain 50 years after the creator's death.

Spain has a copyright term of life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987. In Colombia and Equatorial Guinea a work enters the public domain 80 years after the creator's death.

In 2004 copyright in Australia changed from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, in line with the United States and the European Union. But the change was not made retroactive (unlike the 1995 change in the European Union which bought some e.g. British authors back into copyright, especially those who died from 1925 to 1944). Hence the work of an author who died before 1955 is normally in the public domain in Australia; but the copyright of authors was extended to 70 years after death for those who died in 1955 or later, and no more Australian authors would come out of copyright until 1 January 2026 (those who died in 1955).^[1]

Similarly, Canada amended its Copyright Act in 2022 from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, coming into force on December 30, 2022, but does not revive expired copyright.^[2][3] No more new Canadian authors will come out of copyright until 1 January 2043 (those who died in 1972).

Under the Copyright Term Extension Act, books published in 1927, films released in 1927, and other works published in 1927, entered the public domain in 2023.^[4] Unpublished works whose authors died in 1952 entered the public domain.

Important examples of works that entered the public domain in the United States in 2023 include notable literature such as Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather, Copper Sun by Countee Cullen, the first Miss Marple story The Tuesday Night Club by Agatha Christie, and Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne; notable motion pictures such as the German science-fiction film Metropolis, the first feature film with synchronized dialogue The Jazz Singer, Alfred Hitchcock's first thriller The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, and Harold Lloyd's The Kid Brother; the musical Funny Face; the popular songs "The Best Things in Life Are Free" and "I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream"; and songs by Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, and Bessie Smith.^[5] The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes contained the last two short stories in the Canon of Sherlock Holmes and was subject to a copyright dispute by Doyle's estate before its entry into the public domain.^[5][6]

In September 2023, comic book writer Bill Willingham released the Fables intellectual property into the public domain,^[7] publisher DC Comics continues to claim ownership of the franchise and had an intent to enforce its copyright, but it has not attempted legal action against Willingham or any unauthorised uses of Fables since.

On January 26th 2023, American nature photographer John Fielder donated his entire life's work to the public domain.^[8]

• List of American films of 1927
• 1952 in literature and 1972 in literature for deaths of writers
• Public Domain Day
• Creative Commons

• Media related to Public Domain Day 2023 at Wikimedia Commons
• "Authors by Year of Death - 1952". AuthorAndBookInfo.com.
• Popular Books of 1927 at Goodreads