2026 in public domain

The works of Thomas Mann will enter the public domain in Europe in 2026.

When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2026. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.

Entering the public domain in countries with life + 70 years

With the exception of Belarus (Life + 50 years) and Spain (which has a copyright term of Life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987), a work enters the public domain in Europe 70 years after the creator's death, if it was published during the creator's lifetime. For previously unpublished material, those who publish it first will have the publication rights for 25 years. 2026 marks the first year since 2006 that works will enter the public domain in Australia, which changed its copyright term length from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law in 2004.[1] The list is sorted alphabetically and includes a notable work of the creator that entered the public domain on 1 January 2026.

Names Country Birth Death Occupation Notable work
James Agee  United States 27 November 1909 16 May 1955 Novelist, Journalist, Poet, Screenwriter A Death in the Family
Silvio D'Amico  Italy 3 February 1887 1 April 1955 Theatre theorist
Ruby M. Ayres  United Kingdom 28 January 1881 14 November 1955 Romance novelist Bibliography
Johannes Baader  Germany 21 June 1875 14 January 1955 Writer, Artist, Architect
Lloyd Bacon  United States 4 December 1889 15 November 1955 Actor, Film director Filmography as director
Guido Battelli [de]  Italy 24 September 1869 13 April 1955 Writer Works
Dale Carnegie  United States 24 November 1888 1 November 1955 Writer How to Win Friends and Influence People
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin  France 1 May 1881 10 April 1955 Jesuit priest, Scientist, Paleontologist, Theologian, Philosopher The Phenomenon of Man
Eugenio Cirese [it]  Italy 21 February 1884 8 February 1955 Poet Works
Paul Claudel  France 6 August 1868 23 February 1955 Poet, Dramatist Works
Donald Corley  United States 8 June 1886 11 December 1955 Short story author, illustrator, architect
Alfredo Cuscinà [it]  Italy 30 November 1881 30 March 1955 Composer Main operettas
William C. deMille  United States 25 July 1878 5 March 1955 Screenwriter, Film director Filmography
Isaak Dunayevsky  Russia 30 January 1900 25 July 1955 Composer Compositions
Albert Einstein  Germany
 United States 		14 March 1879 18 April 1955 Theoretical physicist Scientific publications, The Evolution of Physics, The Meaning of Relativity
George Enescu  Romania 19 August 1881 4 May 1955 Composer Compositions
Concha Espina  Spain 15 April 1879 19 May 1955 Writer Bibliography
Émile Fabre  France 24 March 1869 25 September 1955 Playwright Plays
Joseph Jefferson Farjeon  United Kingdom 4 June 1883 6 June 1955 Novelist, Playwright, Screenwriter Works
Alexander Fleming  United Kingdom 6 August 1881 11 March 1955 Physician
José Ortega y Gasset  Spain 9 May 1883 18 October 1955 Philosopher, Essayist Works
Rodolfo Graziani  Italy 11 August 1882 11 January 1955 General Books
Arthur Honegger   Switzerland 10 March 1892 27 November 1955 Composer Compositions
Clemence Housman  United Kingdom 23 November 1861 6 December 1955 Author
María Izquierdo  Mexico 30 October 1902 2 December 1955 Painter
Jaime Ovalle  Brazil 5 August 1894 9 September 1955 Composer Works
James P. Johnson  United States 1 February 1894 17 November 1955 Composer, pianist Charleston
Fernand Léger  France 4 February 1881 17 August 1955 Painter, Sculptor, Filmmaker
Thomas Mann  Germany 6 June 1875 12 August 1955 Writer, Philanthropist, Essayist Works
Francesco Balilla Pratella  Italy 1 February 1880 17 May 1955 Composer Selected Works
Max Pechstein  Germany 31 December 1881 29 June 1955 Painter
Robert Riskin  United States 30 March 1897 20 September 1955 Screenwriter, Playwright Filmography
Nat Schachner  United States 16 January 1895 2 October 1955 Author and biographer Space Lawyer
Robert E. Sherwood  United States 4 April 1896 14 November 1955 Screenwriter, Playwright
Nicolas de Staël  France 5 January 1914 16 March 1955 Painter
Al. T. Stamatiad  Romania 9 May 1885 December 1955 Poet, Short story writer, Dramatist
Wallace Stevens  United States 2 October 1879 2 August 1955 Poet The Auroras of Autumn
Yves Tanguy  France 5 January 1900 15 January 1955 Painter Paintings
Yevgeny Tarle  Russia 27 October 1874 6 January 1955 Historian Napoleon's Invasion of Russia, 1812
Tin Ujević  Croatia 5 July 1891 12 November 1955 Poet Works
Maurice Utrillo  France 26 December 1883 5 November 1955 Painter
Anwar Wagdi  Egypt 11 October 1904 14 May 1955 Director The Flirtation of Girls
Léon Werth  France 17 February 1878 13 December 1955 Writer Books
Hermann Weyl  Germany 9 November 1885 8 December 1955 Mathematician, Theoretical physicist, Philosopher Bibliography

Entering the public domain in countries with life + 80 years

See also: Works that entered the public domain in countries with life + 70 years in 2016

Spain has a copyright term of life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987. In Colombia and Equatorial Guinea, a work enters the public domain 80 years after the creator's death. The list is sorted alphabetically and includes a notable work of the creator that entered the public domain on 1 January 2026.

Names Country Birth Death Occupation Notable work
Achmed Abdullah  United States 12 May 1881 12 May 1945 Pulp writer and screenwriter
Nikola Avramov  Bulgaria 21 May 1897 15 June 1945 Still life paintings
Milena Pavlović-Barili  Serbia 5 November 1909 6 March 1945 Painter, poet
Maurice Baring  United Kingdom 27 April 1874 14 December 1945 Writer
Béla Bartók  Hungary 25 March 1881 26 September 1945 Composer Concerto for Orchestra
Robert Benchley  United States 15 September 1889 21 November 1945 Humorist newspaper and magazine columns
Henry Bellamann  United States 28 April 1882 16 June 1945 Writer Kings Row
Ursula Bethell  New Zealand 6 October 1874 15 January 1945 Poet Collected poetry
Vilhelms Bokslafs  Latvia
 Russian Empire 		12 October 1858 9 March 1945 Architect Most notable buildings are Jaunmokas Manor near Tukums and Commercial school in Riga (now Art Academy of Latvia)
Nicola Bombacci  Italy 24 October 1879 28 April 1945 Marxist-Fascist journalist Il mio pensiero sul bolscevismo (1941),
I contadini nella Russia di Stalin (1942),
I contadini nell'Italia di Mussolini (1943)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer  Germany 4 February 1906 9 April 1945 Theologian
Robert Brasillach  France 31 March 1909 6 February 1945 Writer Je suis partout
Miles J. Breuer  United States 3 January 1889 14 October 1945 Writer "The Gostak and the Doshes" (1930) and other science fiction stories
Fritz Brupbacher   Switzerland 30 June 1874 1 January 1945 Writer Der Sinn des Lebens
Thomas Burke  United Kingdom 29 November 1886 22 November 1945 Writer Limehouse Nights
Alexander Stirling Calder  United States 11 January 1870 7 January 1945 Sculptor George Washington as President
David Young Cameron  United Kingdom 28 June 1865 16 September 1945 Artist
Franklin Carmichael  Canada 5 May 1890 24 October 1945 Artist
Anica Černej  Slovenia 3 April 1900 3 May 1945 Author, poet
Benjamin De Casseres  United States 3 April 1873 7 December 1945 Journalist, poet The Shadow-Eater
Margaret Deland  United States 23 February 1856 13 January 1945 Writer John Ward, Preacher
Mário de Andrade  Brazil 9 October 1893 25 February 1945 Writer Macunaíma
Robert Desnos  France 4 July 1900 8 June 1945 Poet
Maurice Donnay  France 12 October 1859 31 March 1945 Dramatist
Lord Alfred Douglas  United Kingdom 12 June 1859 20 March 1945 Writer Two Loves
Theodore Dreiser  United States 27 August 1871 28 December 1945 Writer, journalist Sister Carrie, An American Tragedy
E. R. Eddison  United Kingdom 24 November 1882 18 August 1945 Writer The Worm Ouroboros
Gus Edwards  United States 18 August 1879 7 November 1945 Songwriter "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", "In My Merry Oldsmobile"
Eleanor Fortescue-Brigdale  United Kingdom 1871 10 March 1945 Artist The Uninvited Guest, Riches
Anne Frank  Germany 12 June 1929 February 1945 Diarist The Diary of a Young Girl
Øvre Richter Frich  Norway 24 March 1872 13 May 1945 Writer, journalist
Zinaida Gippius  Russia 20 November 1869 9 September 1945 Writer, poet
Adolf Hitler  Germany 20 April 1889 30 April 1945 Politician, Dictator of Nazi Germany Mein Kampf, Zweites Buch
Suphi Nuri İleri  Turkey 1887 1945 Writer
Ljubomir Ivanović  Serbia 24 February 1882 23 November 1945 Printmaker, draughtsman
Malcolm Jameson  United States 21 December 1891 16 April 1945 Writer Writer for American pulp magazines during the Golden Age of Science Fiction
Joseph Jastrow  United States 30 January 1863 8 January 1945 Psychologist
Juliusz Kaden-Bandrowski  Poland 24 February 1885 8 August 1945 Writer, journalist
Osman Cemal Kaygılı  Turkey 4 October 1879 9 January 1945 Writer
Carl Wilhelm Kern  United States 4 June 1874 19 August 1945 Composer
Käthe Kollwitz  Germany 8 July 1867 22 April 1945 Artist The Prisoners
Julius Korngold  Austria 24 December 1860 25 September 1945 Music critic
Jaroslav Kratochvil [cs]  Czech Republic 17 January 1885 20 March 1945 Writer
René Lalique  France 6 April 1860 1 May 1945 Glass designer
Else Lasker-Schüler  Germany 11 February 1869 22 January 1945 Writer poetry and plays
James Leatham[2]  United Kingdom 19 December 1865 14 December 1945 Writer, printer, publisher
Jonas Lie  Norway 31 December 1899 11 May 1945 Writer, minister
David Lindsay  United Kingdom 3 March 1876 16 July 1945 Writer A Voyage to Arcturus
Eoin MacNeill  Ireland 15 May 1867 15 October 1945 Writer Phases of Irish History
Tobias Matthay  United Kingdom 19 February 1858 15 December 1945 Teacher, pianist, composer writings on piano playing
Arthur Mendel [ro]  Romania 1872 1945 Painter
Régis Messac  France 2 August 1893 1945 Writer, poet, translator
James V. Monaco  United States 13 January 1885 16 October 1945 Songwriter "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)"
Arthur Morrison  United Kingdom 1 November 1863 4 December 1945 Writer A Child of the Jago
Benito Mussolini  Italy 29 July 1883 28 April 1945 Politician My Autobiography
Moritz Nähr  Austria 4 August 1859 29 June 1945 Photographer
Alla Nazimova  United States 3 June 1879 13 July 1945 Writer, actor
Dobri Nemirov [bg]  Bulgaria 3 February 1882 30 September 1945 Writer When I was young
Otto Neurath  Austria 10 December 1882 22 December 1945 Writer Anti-Spengler
Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen  Denmark 21 June 1863 21 February 1945 Sculptor Equestrian Statue of King Christian IX, Copenhagen
Charles Gilman Norris  United States 23 April 1881 25 July 1945 Writer, playwright Salt (1919)
George S. Patton  United States 11 November 1885 21 December 1945 General War As I Knew it
Harry Pease [de]  United States 6 September 1886 8 November 1944 Songwriter
Calel Perechodnik  Poland 8 September 1916 September 1945 Diarist
Ion Pillat  Romania 31 March 1891 17 April 1945 Poet Pe Argeș în sus, Poeme într-un vers
Karel Poláček  Czech Republic 22 March 1892 21 January 1945 Writer
Vilhelms Purvītis  Latvia
 Russian Empire 		3 March 1872 14 January 1945 Landscape painter and educator
Ernö Rapée  United States 4 June 1891 26 June 1945 Composer silent film music
Edward Prosser Rhys  United Kingdom 4 March 1901 6 February 1945 Writer Cerddi Prosser Rhys
Albert Richards  United Kingdom 19 December 1919 5 March 1945 Artist Artwork produced during the Second World War about the British war effort
Alexander Roda Roda  Austria 13 April 1872 20 August 1945 Writer
Hando Ruus  Estonia 16 May 1917 31 March 1945 Military captain, artist
Felix Salten  Austria 6 September 1869 8 October 1945 Writer Bambi. Eine Lebensgeschichte aus dem Walde
Alexander Siloti  Ukraine 9 October 1863 8 December 1945 Pianist, composer
Kārlis Skalbe  Latvia
 Russian Empire 		7 November 1879 14 April 1945 Writer, poet, and activist
Paul Smărăndescu [ro]  Romania 26 June 1881 12 January 1945 Architect
Antal Szerb  Hungary 1 May 1901 27 January 1945 Writer The Pendragon Legend
Ong Schan Tchow  China 19 September 1900 20 December 1945 Artist Book of Chrysanthemums
Nikolai Tcherepnin  Russia 15 May 1873 26 June 1945 Composer
Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy  Russia 15 May 1873 26 June 1945 Writer Aelita, The Garin Death Ray, The Road to Calvary
Teodor Trayanov [bg]  Bulgaria 30 January 1882 15 January 1945 Poet Song of songs, Regina Mortua, Hymns and Ballads
Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil  Turkey 1866 27 March 1945 Writer
Anton Webern  Austria 3 December 1883 15 September 1945 Composer
Franz Werfel  Austria 10 September 1890 26 August 1945 Writer The Song of Bernadette
Charles Williams  United Kingdom 20 September 1886 15 May 1945 Writer Descent into Hell
John R. Commons  United States 13 October 1862 11 May 1945 Economist Institutional Economics
August Lösch  Germany 15 October 1906 30 May 1945 Economist Die räumliche Ordnung der Wirtschaft
David Lloyd George  United Kingdom 17 January 1863 26 March 1945 Politician The Truth About The Peace Treaty, War Memoirs
Joseph Goebbels  Germany 29 October 1897 1 May 1945 Politician Goebbels Diaries

Entering the public domain in countries with life + 60 years

In Bangladesh, India, and Venezuela a work enters the public domain 60 years after the creator's death.

Names Country Birth Death Occupation Notable work
Ahn Eak-tai  South Korea 5 December 1906 16 September 1965 Composer Aegukga, Symphonic Fantasy Korea
T. S. Eliot  United Kingdom,
 United States 		26 September 1888 4 January 1965 Poet, Essayist, Playwright Works
Park Su-geun  South Korea 21 February 1914 6 May 1965 Painter A Wash Place (빨래터)
Syngman Rhee  South Korea 26 March 1875 19 July 1965 President of South Korea The Spirit of Independence (독립정신)

Entering the public domain in countries with life + 50 years

In most countries of Africa and Asia, as well as Belarus, Bolivia, New Zealand, Egypt and Uruguay; a work enters the public domain 50 years after the creator's death.

Names Country Birth Death Occupation Notable work
John Akar  Sierra Leone 1927 1975 Entertainer, writer, diplomat High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free
Leroy Anderson  United States 29 June 1908 18 May 1975 Composer Sleigh Ride, Blue Tango, The Typewriter, The Syncopated Clock
Ivo Andrić  Yugoslavia 9 October 1892 13 March 1975 Writer, Poet The Bridge on the Drina
Pablo Antonio  Philippines 25 January 1901 14 June 1975 Architect Ideal Theater, Life Theater, White Cross Orphanage, Capitan Luis Gonzaga Building
Hannah Arendt  Germany
 United States 		14 October 1906 4 December 1975 Writer, Political philosopher The Human Condition, Eichmann in Jerusalem
Mikhail Bakhtin  Russia 16 November 1895 7 March 1975 Philosopher Works
Thomas Hart Benton  United States 15 April 1889 19 January 1975 Painter
James Blish  United States 23 May 1921 30 July 1975 Writer Cities in Flight, Star Trek novelizations
Arthur Bliss  United Kingdom 2 August 1891 27 March 1975 Composer Compositions
Tim Buckley  United States 14 February 1947 29 June 1975 Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter Discography
Luigi Dallapiccola  Italy 3 February 1904 19 February 1975 Composer Compositions
Lefty Frizzell  United States 31 March 1928 19 July 1975 Singer, Songwriter Discography
Konstantine Gamsakhurdia  Georgia 3 May 1893 17 July 1975 Writer The Right Hand of the Grand Master
Bernard Herrmann  United States 29 July 1911 24 December 1975 Composer Film scores
Edna Mayne Hull  Canada 1 May 1905 20 January 1975 SF author Planets for Sale
Julian Huxley  United Kingdom 22 June 1887 14 February 1975 Evolutionary biologist Works
Chiang Kai-shek  Taiwan 31 October 1887 5 April 1975 President of the Republic of China China's Destiny (中国之命运)
Rowland V. Lee  United States 6 September 1891 21 December 1975 Director, Actor, Screenwriter, Producer
Murray Leinster  United States 16 June 1896 8 June 1975 Writer Bibliography
Elijah Muhammad  United States 7 October 1897 25 February 1975 Leader of the Nation of Islam Message to the Blackman in America
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman  Bangladesh 17 March 1920 15 August 1975 Politician Books
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan  India 5 September 1888 17 April 1975 Philosopher, President of India The Dhammapada, The Principal Upanishads
Alfred Hamish Reed  New Zealand 30 December 1875 15 January 1975 Writer, publisher The Gumdiggers: The Story of Kauri Gum
Maria Elizabeth Rothmann  South Africa 28 August 1875 7 September 1975 Author Kinders van die Voortrek
Nora Sanderson  New Zealand 14 February 1905 2 March 1975 Romance writer Hospital in New Zealand
Rod Serling  United States 25 December 1924 28 June 1975 Screenwriter, Playwright, Television producer The Twilight Zone
R. C. Sherriff  United Kingdom 6 June 1896 13 November 1975 Playwright, writer Journey's End, The Hopkins Manuscript
Dmitri Shostakovich  Russia 25 September 1906 9 August 1975 Composer Compositions
Noble Sissle  United States 10 July 1889 17 December 1975 Jazz composer, Lyricist Shuffle Along, I'm Just Wild About Harry
Christopher Strachey  United Kingdom 16 November 1916 18 May 1975 Computer scientist CPL, Fundamental Concepts in Programming Languages
Bill Sutch  New Zealand 27 June 1907 28 September 1975 Economist Poverty and Progress in New Zealand, The Quest for Security in New Zealand
Arnold J. Toynbee  United Kingdom 14 April 1889 22 October 1975 Historian A Study of History
Thornton Wilder  United States 17 April 1897 7 December 1975 Playwright, Novelist The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Our Town
P. G. Wodehouse  United Kingdom 15 October 1881 7 December 1975 Playwright, Novelist Bibliography

United States

See also: Public domain in the United States
The earliest Betty Boop cartoons will enter the public domain in the United States in 2026.

Under the Copyright Term Extension Act, books published in 1930, films released in 1930, and other works published in 1930, will enter the public domain in 2026.[3] Sound recordings that were published in 1925 will enter the public domain.[4]

Unpublished works whose authors died in 1955 will enter the public domain.

Among the literary works that will enter public domain in 2026 are Dashiell Hammett's detective novel The Maltese Falcon, Agatha Christie's Miss Marple-novel The Murder at the Vicarage, William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying, H. Rider Haggard's final work Belshazzar, Noël Coward's play Private Lives, Philip Wylie's novel Gladiator, often theorised to be an inspiration for The Reign of the Superman, Milt Gross's graphic novel He Done Her Wrong, Bertold Brecht's play The Decision in its original German, the first appearance of Herge's Tintin in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets in its original French, the first English translation of Franz Kafka's The Castle, the first Elson-Gray Readers books featuring Dick and Jane by William S. Gray, the first English translation of Hermann Sudermann's The Excursion to Tilsit and Carolyn Keene's The Secret of the Old Clock and the character Nancy Drew (although only the original 1930 text).

Significant films entering the public domain this year include All Quiet on the Western Front, Greta Garbo's first sound film Anna Christie, Jean Harlow's film debut Hell's Angels, John Wayne's film debut in The Big Trail, The Love Parade, Animal Crackers starring the Marx Brothers, Soup to Nuts featuring an early iteration of The Three Stooges, George Cukor's directorial debut Grumpy, Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel and Morocco, both starring Marlene Dietrich (the first of eight films they made together), The Unholy Three, starring Lon Chaney in his only speaking role, F.W. Murnau's City Girl, G.W. Pabst's Westfront 1918, Robert Siodmak's directorial debut People on Sunday, Jean Vigo's directorial debut À propos de Nice, Luis Buñuel's The Golden Age, the first Italian soundfilm The Sound of Love, the first Polish sound film Niebezpieczny romans, the first Czech sound film Tonka of the Gallows, the first Argentinian sound film Goodbye Argentina and the oldest surviving television broadcast The Man with the Flower in His Mouth. The earliest Betty Boop and Bimbo works will enter into the public domain, including Dizzy Dishes. The Disney character Pluto also makes his first appearance, first as an unnamed dog in The Chain Gang, and later called Rover in The Picnic,[a]along with Clarabelle Cow. Another Ub Iwerks cartoon creation, Flip the Frog, will also enter the public domain.

The first comic appearances of Hergé's Quick & Flupke and Chic Young's Blondie will also enter the public domain.

Some of the better-known works of art entering the public domain are Piet Mondrian's Composition with Red Blue and Yellow, Ansel Adams' photobook Taos Pueblo with writing by Mary Hunter Austin, Martin Munkácsi's photograph Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika, Edward Weston's photograph Pepper No. 30, early prints of M.C. Escher (The Bridge and Castrovalva), and the first designs of the Brno chair and the Tugendhat chair.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ He would first be referred to as Pluto in the 1931 short The Moose Hunt.

References

  1. ^ "How long does copyright last? | National Library of Australia". www.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  2. ^ Crick, Martin (1994). The History of the Social-Democratic Federation. Edinburgh University Press. p. 311. ISBN 978-1-85331-091-1.
  3. ^ "Copyright and the Public Domain". Public Domain Information Project. Archived from the original on 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  4. ^ Hirtle, Peter B. (3 January 2020). "Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States". Cornell University Library Copyright Information Center. Retrieved 17 December 2020.