The new year brings a sense of renewal, with many people dedicating themselves anew to their passions. In the world of creativity, it’s a time to celebrate an exciting transition: Virtually all the books, films, songs, and art published in the 1920s are now in the public domain. Without copyright protections, anyone—artists, educators, filmmakers, or curious enthusiasts—can freely use, adapt, or reimagine these works without seeking permission or worrying about paying out royalties. This allows people to build upon previous ideas, fostering creativity and innovation across generations.
This year’s batch is particularly fascinating. The works entering the public domain this year capture the roaring end of the 1920s, a decade brimming with literary daring, cinematic experimentation, and musical vibrancy. Now, nearly a century later, we can rediscover, reinterpret, and make these works new.
1929: A Treasure Trove of Stories and Sounds
Tales like Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms or Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own are more accessible than ever. They’re ready to inspire fresh creative projects without limitations. These aren’t just old books, they’re cultural cornerstones. Woolf’s essay, for instance, still feels revolutionary, challenging us to confront the barriers that stifle creativity and equality.
It’s not only Woolf and Hemingway. The 1920s also brought us The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, works by John Steinbeck, Richard Hughes, and Agatha Christie’s mysteries—all of which are now freely available to inspire new adaptations and explorations.
Cinema’s Golden Age: From Silent Films to Talkies
The late 1920s marked a watershed moment for film as well. The arrival of “talkies” transformed storytelling forever. Now in the public domain, pictures from Hitchcock and the Marx brothers offer creators a chance to reimagine their brilliance for modern audiences.
Even animation milestones make their entrance. Mickey Mouse spoke his first words in the late 1920s. While, The Skeleton Dance, the first Silly Symphony short, is now available for reinterpretation.
Music and Comics: A New Era of Possibilities
The sound recordings from 1924 are also free for exploration. Songs including “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” and compositions by legends such as George Gershwin and Fats Waller might provide a canvas for remix artists, musicians, and filmmakers seeking to evoke the electricity of this transformative era.
In the world of comics, beloved characters like Popeye and Tintin make their public domain debut. Their adventures can now be rediscovered and reinterpreted in modern storytelling formats, from graphic novels to animated series.
Artistic Visionaries and Hidden Gems
René Magritte in front of one of his paintings “The Amorous Perspective”
Visual art also joins this cultural treasure trove. Works by Salvador Dalí and René Magritte are now in the public domain. Creators can draw inspiration from their dreamlike visions and bold artistic statements.
But it’s not just the famous names—there are countless forgotten gems waiting to be rediscovered. Paintings, plays, and lesser-known novels from the 1920s could hold the spark for someone’s next big idea.
Why the Public Domain Matters
Copyright serves a valuable purpose. It gives creators exclusive rights to their work for a limited time, which allows them to profit from their ideas and innovations. This protection incentivizes creativity by ensuring that creators can reap the rewards of their labor. Copyright protections, however, are not meant to last indefinitely. Limiting the length of copyright terms strikes a crucial balance, allowing creators to benefit from their work while eventually making those works accessible to society.
Throughout history, some of the most celebrated art, music, and stories have drawn inspiration from what came before. Shakespeare borrowed liberally from history and myth (and The Sound and the Fury owes its title to Shakespeare’s Macbeth), while jazz evolved through its interplay with blues and folk traditions. The public domain keeps this tradition alive. It ensures that ideas can continue to grow, evolve, and inspire new creations.
For creators, the public domain is especially powerful because it removes financial and legal barriers that might otherwise limit access. Licensing fees, permission hurdles, and usage restrictions can make copyrighted works inaccessible. By breaking down these barriers, the public domain opens the door for anyone—regardless of resources or background—to explore older works, reinterpret them, and share them with new audiences. We can now explore these works in ways the original creators might never have imagined.
The Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property, an initiative of the Michelson 20MM Foundation, provides access to empowering IP education for budding inventors and entrepreneurs. Michelson 20MM was founded thanks to the generous support of renowned spinal surgeon Dr. Gary K. Michelson and Alya Michelson. To learn more, visit 20mm.org.