Public Domain Highlights 2023

A new year has arrived—that means the public domain is expanding. All works from 1927 will be included in this year's annual copyright expiration, but still be aware that any trademarks regarding these works or their adaptations are still in place. That being said, here are a few highlights from what's entering the public domain this year. 

The final works of Sherlock Holmes — 

Sherlock Holmes is finally getting out of a weird copyright limbo he's been in for a while. Holmes himself has been in the public domain for a while, but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote for the character over a few decades, and the latter of Holmes’ adventures were still copyrighted by Doyle's estate. The problem for people adapting the character is that Holmes went through a strong amount of character development over the 60 stories he appeared in, and Doyle's estate had a legal argument that the underdeveloped Holmes was in the domain, but his matured self wasn't. So if he was too nice in your adaptation, you owed them royalties. Thankfully none of that matters anymore as those last stories have entered the public domain, so now Sherlock can do whatever you need him to and you don't have to pay anyone; even if he isn't a jerk. 

Wings — 

The first film to win Best Picture at the Oscars is now in the hands of the masses. The story of a romantic rivalry between two combat pilots, Wings is not only the first film to snag the big one at the academy awards, but it is also the only silent film to do so (the 84th Academy Awards Best Picture winner, The Artist, has a single spoken line of dialogue, so this is mostly a technicality). If a long, old movie about guys in airplanes fighting over a woman sounds good to you, it’s gonna be anywhere they have public domain movies—if not by now, very soon. 

London After Midnight — 

Can a film enter the public domain if nobody actually has it? This is the question raised by the famously lost film London After Midnight. Considered by many to be the Holy Grail of lost horror films, it's probably best known as the final role of the legendary actor and make-up artist Lon Chaney. I don't know if entering the public domain would help the film's chances of ever being found, but once it is found, it's gonna be everywhere. 

Metropolis —

Ok, like Sherlock, this one is a copyright constipation deal that's finally being passed. This legendary sci-fi film was previously removed from the public domain in the 90's and is only going back in now. As it turns out, works can simply be removed from the public domain if the person who says they own it has good enough lawyers. Anyway, I'm glad this one is back in the public domain WHERE IT BELONGS, because it's a classic dystopian film and the film's famous, ambiguously named gynoid can start showing up in more random places like Dracula does.