On February 15, 2024, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) announced the works of art that entered the public domain this year.
Public domain means that the copyright of a creative work has expired or been abandoned, which means that the work is no longer protected by copyright and creative people, such as writers or anyone else, can freely use, reproduce or make any adaptations without obtaining permission or paying royalties.
Copyright Protection Period
The copyright protection period in different countries around the world is different. For example, the copyright law of the European Union stipulates that the copyright protection period in the European Union is the author's lifetime and 70 years after his death. The copyright protection period in the United States needs to take into account the first publication time. For example, for works of art published after January 1, 1978, the protection period is the author's lifetime plus 70 years, but for anonymous works or alias works published before this date, the protection period is the first publication date plus 95 years.
This results in the same work entering the public domain at different times in different countries. For example, George Orwell's "1984" entered the public domain in the UK and the EU in 2021, 70 years after the author's death, while in the United States it had to wait until 2044.
Public domain artworks increase creativity
When works of art enter the public domain, creativity will be greatly increased. Unrestricted re-creation without legal barriers will be eliminated, which will encourage more artists, writers, and filmmakers to create new and revolutionary works based on their original works.
However, the cultural heritage laws of some countries, such as Italy and Greece, still stipulate that works that enter the public domain are still subject to restrictions on use. The laws of Italy and Greece both stipulate that when using elements of cultural heritage for certain purposes, the consent of their government must be obtained in advance and fees must be paid, such as Venus.
EU's flexible use of copyright
The EUIPO has established and managed the Out-Of-Commerce Works Portal - Observatory (europa.eu) to promote information sharing within the EU for copyrights that are no longer commercialized, including various forms of artistic works, such as literature, audiovisual works, music, sound recordings, photographs and unique works of art. The website is a public, centralized platform where cultural heritage institutions publish information about non-commercial, especially digitized works in the public domain. In addition, it also provides rights holders and publishers with an exit option, allowing them to withdraw works from their platform. This EU measure is aimed at digitizing artworks and making it easier for future generations to have access to shared European cultural heritage.
The artworks entering the public domain in 2024 are:
1. Charlie Chaplin's silent romantic comedy The Circus
2. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Erich Maria Remarque: German-born American author best known for All Quiet on the Western Front (1929), a novel based on his experiences in World War I.
3. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
4. The Photographer by Buster Keaton
5. The Sailing Ship Returns by Raoul Dufy
6. Lady Chatterley’s Lover by DH Lawrence
7. Orlando by Virginia Woolf
