New Year’s Day commemorates the passing of time and the start of a new chapter, so it is fitting that the same day also presents an opportunity to breathe new life into thousands of creative works nearly a century old. As of Jan. 1, 2026, characters like early Betty Boop and Nancy Drew, and a variety of popular movies, books and songs, are entering the public domain. 

They join a growing list of cultural icons that are no longer under copyright protection, including Popeye the Sailor Man and the “Steamboat Willie” version of Mickey Mouse.

List of popular intellectual property entering the public domain in 2026

The year 2026 marks the first time that copyrighted books, films, songs and art published in the ’30s enter the U.S. public domain. As of Jan. 1, protections expire for published works from 1930 and sound recordings from 1925.

Here are some of the most notable works that are becoming available for free use by anyone:

• “The Murder at the Vicarage” by Agatha Christie, the first novel featuring elderly amateur detective Miss Marple.
• “The Secret of the Old Clock” by Carolyn Keene, the first appearance of teen detective Nancy Drew, and three follow-ups.
• “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper.
• Fleischer Studios’ “Dizzy Dishes,” the first cartoon in which Betty Boop appears.
• Disney’s “The Chain Gang” and “The Picnic,” both depicting the earliest versions of Mickey’s dog Pluto.
• The initial four months of “Blondie” comic strips by Chic Young, featuring the earliest iterations of the titular character and her then-boyfriend, Dagwood.
• The film “All Quiet on the Western Front,” directed by Lewis Milestone, Best Picture winner at the 3rd Academy Awards.
• “King of Jazz,” directed by John Murray Anderson, Bing Crosby’s first appearance in a feature film.
• “Animal Crackers,” directed by Victor Heerman and starring the Marx Brothers.
• “The Big Trail,” directed by Raoul Walsh, John Wayne’s first turn as leading man.
• “But Not For Me,” music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin.
• “Georgia on My Mind,” music by Hoagy Carmichael, lyrics by Stuart Gorrell.
• “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, lyrics by Gus Kahn.
• “Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight,” music by Al Sherman, lyrics by Al Lewis.
• Piet Mondrian’s painting, “Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow.”

How the public domain works

When a work’s copyright protections lapse, it lands in the public domain, allowing anyone to use and build upon it as they see fit for free and without needing permission.

“Copyright gives rights to creators and their descendants that provide incentives to create,” Jennifer Jenkins, director of Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, told CBS News’ Lee Cowan in 2024. “But the public domain really is the soil for future creativity.”

The U.S. Constitution’s intellectual property clause establishes that works be protected for a limited amount of time, “to promote the progress of science and useful arts.” The Founding Fathers left it to Congress to sort out the specifics.

Generally, in the U.S., works published or registered before 1978 retain copyright protections for 95 years. For later works, protection usually spans the creator’s lifetime and 70 years after.

“If copyright lasted forever, it would be very difficult for a lot of creators to make the works they want to make without worrying about being in the crosshairs of a copyright lawsuit,” Jenkins said.

Just because a work’s copyright has expired does not mean that members of the public cannot be held legally liable in some instances. For example, while the original Betty Boop from 1930 is in the public domain, the modern version is not. So to avoid infringement, any reuse would need to steer clear of her newer characteristics. Additionally, the character is subject to multiple trademarks, which further complicates its use.

What’s entering the public domain in 2027?

Copyrighted works from 1931 will see their protections expire in 2027. This includes Universal Pictures’ “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” films, Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights,” Fritz Lang’s “M,” Herman Hupfeld’s jazz standard “As Time Goes By” and more.

France plans to ban children under 15 from social media sites and to prohibit mobile phones in high schools from September 2026, local media reported on Wednesday, moves that underscore rising public angst over the impact of online harms on minors.

President Emmanuel Macron has often pointed to social media as one of the factors to blame for violence among young people and has signalled he wants France to follow Australia, whose world-first ban for under-16s on social media platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube came into force in December.

His government will submit draft legislation for legal checks in early January, Le Monde and France Info reported.

Macron did not reference the legislative push in a New Year’s Eve address but he did pledge to “protect our children and teenagers from social media and screens.”

Earlier, the Elysee and the prime minister’s office declined to comment on the media reports.

Mobile phones have been banned in French primary and middle schools since 2018 and the reported new changes would extend that ban to high schools. Pupils aged 11 to 15 attend middle schools in the French educational system.

France also passed a law in 2023 requiring social platforms to obtain parental consent for under-15s to create accounts, though technical challenges have impeded its enforcement.

Macron wants more action at EU level

Macron said in June he would push for regulation at the level of the European Union to ban access to social media for all under-15s after a fatal stabbing at a school in eastern France shocked the nation.

The European Parliament in November urged the EU to set minimum ages for children to access social media to combat a rise in mental health problems among adolescents from excessive exposure, although it is member states which impose age limits.

Various other countries have also taken steps to regulate children’s access to social media.

Macron heads into the New Year with his domestic legacy in tatters after his gamble on parliamentary elections in 2024 led to a hung parliament, triggering France’s worst political crisis in decades that has seen a succession of weak governments.

However, cracking down further on minors’ access to social media could prove popular, according to opinion polls. A Harris Interactive survey in 2024 showed 73% of those canvassed supporting a ban on social media access for under-15s.

Chris Hemsworth is signaling a major tonal shift for Thor as Marvel Studios prepares audiences for Avengers: Doomsday, and the message is clear from the very first moments of the newly released teaser. 

Gone is the jokey, over-the-top version of the God of Thunder seen in Thor: Love and Thunder. 

In its place stands a quieter, heavier, and more emotionally grounded hero, one shaped by loss, responsibility, and reflection.

The teaser, which centers entirely on Thor, opens with the Asgardian god in a rare moment of stillness. 

Speaking in a somber voice, he offers a prayer before battle, asking for strength not to conquer, but to return home and protect a child. 

“Father, all my life I’ve answered every call, to honor, duty, to war,” Thor says. 

“Now fate has given me something I never sought. A child, a life untouched by the storm.” The tone alone signals a clear creative reset for the character.

This darker, more mature direction stands in sharp contrast to Thor: Love and Thunder, the 2022 release that divided audiences with its heavy humour and exaggerated style. 

While the film earned $760 million worldwide, even Hemsworth later admitted it pushed things too far. 

In a past interview, he openly reflected on the criticism, saying the film became “too silly” and that he may have leaned too far into the comedy.

He also shared that some of the most honest feedback came from his own kids and their friends, who weren’t shy about pointing out what didn’t work.

Hemsworth has since acknowledged that the experience forced him to rethink the character. 

In a later interview, he admitted, “I got caught up in the improv and the wackiness, and I became a parody of myself. I didn’t stick the landing.”

Still, he made it clear he wasn’t done with Thor, only that the character needed a fresh approach.

That reflection appears to have shaped Avengers: Doomsday. 

The teaser presents a Thor driven less by spectacle and more by purpose, hinting at a story focused on legacy, responsibility, and emotional depth. 

Hemsworth previously said he would only return to the role if it felt “unpredictable” and meaningful, and this new version suggests Marvel is answering that call.

With Avengers: Doomsday set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, the early footage is already reassuring fans that the God of Thunder is entering a new era, one that embraces maturity, restraint, and a deeper emotional core.