Buzz
If you've ever dreamed of crafting your own Popeye animation, film, or graphic novel without legal repercussions, your opportunity is on the horizon. The beloved sailor, known for his spinach-powered strength, is among numerous characters and creative works that will transition into the public domain starting January 1, 2025.
Although copyright law is complex, you don’t need a legal degree to grasp that in the U.S., creative works like films, books, art, music, and plays lose their copyright protection after 95 years. This allows the public to freely distribute and adapt these works, leading to projects such as the horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023) and the upcoming Bambi: The Reckoning.
The works entering the public domain in 2025 were originally published in 1929—or, for sound recordings, 1924. Below is a partial list of these soon-to-be-public treasures:
- Popeye (Character)
- Tintin (Character)
- The Cocoanuts (Film)
- The Broadway Melody (Film)
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Blackmail (Film)
- The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (Book)
- A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (Book)
- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (Book)
- Cup of Gold by John Steinbeck (Book)
- “Singin’ in the Rain” by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown (Musical Composition)
Popeye offers a fascinating case study in copyright law. Starting next year, only the version of the character from a 1929 Thimble Theatre comic strip will be in the public domain. Since his iconic spinach-eating trait wasn’t introduced until 1931, incorporating this aspect into a new work might attract attention from Popeye’s rights holders, Hearst Holdings.
Hearst also owns a trademark for the Popeye name, which remains indefinitely. However, it’s improbable they could use it to hinder public domain projects. As long as a new Popeye creation doesn’t claim association with Hearst, it should be legally safe from interference.
A similar situation applies to Mickey Mouse, who entered the public domain in 2024 but only in his Steamboat Willie incarnation. Since Mickey began speaking and wearing white gloves in 1929, it’s now permissible to portray him as he’s widely recognized today.
The list highlights several cinematic landmarks. The Cocoanuts marked the Marx Brothers’ debut in feature films, Blackmail was Alfred Hitchcock’s first sound film, and The Broadway Melody earned the Academy Award for Best Picture.
2025 marks a significant milestone for literary classics. Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, and Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon will all be open for adaptation and distribution starting next year.
According to Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, the expiration of copyright protections is crucial for fostering creativity. It enables artists to reinterpret or showcase existing works without legal barriers. For instance, Wicked—a reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s Oz series—wouldn’t exist if the original books hadn’t entered the public domain, nor would the musical or its recent film adaptation.
While Wicked offered a creative reinterpretation, the public domain also allows for less favorable adaptations. Next year, audiences will see Popeye the Slayer Man, a horror film where the sailor terrorizes a group of friends in a spinach factory. This is one of three planned Popeye horror projects, though they’ll lack Bluto, as Popeye’s rival didn’t appear until 1932.
