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 2025. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.

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 For previously unpublished material, those who publish it first will have the publication rights for 25 years.

Names	Country	Birth	Death	Occupation	Notable work
Franco Alfano	Italy	8 March 1875	27 October 1954	Composer	List of operas by Franco Alfano
Oswald de Andrade	Brazil	11 January 1890	22 October 1954	Writer	Manifesto Antropófago
Bruno Angoletta	Italy	7 September 1889	7 January 1954	Cartoonist	Marmittone
John L. Balderston	United States	22 October 1889	8 March 1954	Playwright	Berkeley Square, Dracula
Lionel Barrymore	United States	28 April 1878	15 November 1954	Actor, film director	Lionel Barrymore on stage, screen and radio
Jacinto Benavente	Spain	12 August 1866	14 July 1954	Writer	The Unloved Woman
Frans G. Bengtsson	Sweden	4 October 1894	19 December 1954	Writer	The Long Ships
Hakon Børresen	Denmark	2 June 1876	6 October 1954	Composer	Den Kongelige Gæst
Vitaliano Brancati	Italy	24 July 1907	25 September 1954	Writer	Don Giovanni in Sicilia
Walter Braunfels	Germany	19 December 1882	19 March 1954	Composer	Die Vögel
Claude Cahun	France	25 October 1894	8 December 1954	Photographer, writer	Disavowals or Cancelled Confessions
Robert Capa	Hungary	22 October 1913	25 May 1954	Photographer	The Falling Soldier
Papa Celestin	United States	1 January 1884	15 December 1954	Musician	Papa Celestin's Golden Wedding
Colette	France	28 January 1873	3 August 1954	Writer	Gigi
Julian Coolidge	United States	28 September 1873	5 March 1954	Mathematician	A Treatise on the Circle and the Sphere
Stig Dagerman	Sweden	5 October 1923	4 November 1954	Writer, journalist	A Burnt Child
Jibanananda Das	India	17 February 1899	22 October 1954	Poet	Banalata Sen
André Derain	France	10 June 1880	8 September 1954	Painter, sculptor	Mountains at Collioure
Carl Eldh	Sweden	10 May 1873	26 January 1954	Sculptor	The Branting Monument
Leonard Eugene Dickson	United States	22 January 1874	17 January 1954	Mathematician, writer	History of the Theory of Numbers
Bud Fisher	United States	3 April 1885	7 September 1954	Cartoonist	Mutt and Jeff
Miles Franklin	Australia	14 October 1879	19 September 1954	Writer	My Brilliant Career
Wilhelm Furtwängler	Germany	10 June 1880	8 September 1954	Conductor, composer	Symphony No. 2
E. Ray Goetz	United States	12 June 1886	12 June 1954	Composer, lyricist	" For Me and My Gal"
Heinz Guderian	Germany	17 June 1888	14 May 1954	Military officer, writer	Achtung – Panzer!, Panzer Leader
Jack Harvey	United States	16 September 1881	9 November 1954	Film director	A Dog's Love
Ferenc Herczeg	Hungary	22 September 1863	24 February 1954	Writer	A Gyurkovics-lányok
James Hilton	United Kingdom	9 September 1900	20 December 1954	Writer	Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Lost Horizon
Raymond Hubbell	United States	1 June 1879	13 December 1954	Composer, lyricist	" Poor Butterfly"
Charles Ives	United States	20 October 1874	19 May 1954	Composer	List of compositions by Charles Ives
Hans Janowitz	Germany	2 December 1890	25 May 1954	Screenwriter	The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Norbert Jacques	Germany	6 June 1880	15 May 1954	Writer	Dr. Mabuse
Arthur Johnston	United States	10 January 1898	1 May 1954	Composer	" Cocktails for Two", " Pennies from Heaven"
Frida Kahlo	Mexico	6 July 1907	13 July 1954	Painter	List of paintings by Frida Kahlo
Mikhas Klimkovich	Belarus	20 November 1899	5 November 1954	Poet	" My Belarusy"
Kalki Krishnamurthy	India	9 September 1899	5 December 1954	Writer	Ponniyin Selvan
Henri Laurens	France	18 February 1885	5 May 1954	Sculptor	L'Amphion
Alphonse Laverrière	Switzerland	16 May 1872	11 March 1954	Architect	Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery
Alain LeRoy Locke	United States	13 September 1885	9 June 1954	Writer	The New Negro
William March	United States	18 September 1893	15 May 1954	Writer	Company K
Henri Matisse	France	31 December 1869	3 November 1954	Painter, sculptor	List of works by Henri Matisse
Joe May	United States	7 November 1880	29 April 1954	Film director	Stuart Webbs
George McManus	United States	23 January 1884	22 October 1954	Cartoonist	Bringing Up Father
Zofia Nałkowska	Poland	10 November 1884	17 December 1954	Writer	Medallions
Martin Andersen Nexø	Denmark	26 June 1869	1 June 1954	Writer	Pelle the Conqueror
Herms Niel	Germany	17 April 1888	16 July 1954	Composer	" Erika"
Auguste Perret	France	12 February 1874	25 February 1954	Architect	Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
Washington Phillips	United States	11 January 1880	20 September 1954	Singer	List of songs recorded by Washington Phillips
Fred Raymond	Austria	20 April 1900	10 January 1954	Composer	" I Lost My Heart in Heidelberg", Maske in Blau
Fred Rose	United States	24 August 1898	1 December 1954	Songwriter	" Be Honest with Me"
Oscar Straus	Austria	6 March 1870	11 January 1954	Composer	Ein Walzertraum
Getúlio Vargas	Brazil	19 April 1882	24 August 1954	Politician	Carta Testamento
Alan Turing	United Kingdom	23 June 1912	7 June 1954	Mathematician	Turing's proof
William Van Alen	United States	10 August 1883	24 May 1954	Architect	Chrysler Building
Dziga Vertov	Soviet Union	2 January 1896	12 February 1954	Film director	Man with a Movie Camera
Thea von Harbou	Germany	27 December 1888	1 July 1954	Writer, film director	List of works by Thea von Harbou
Hermann Wolfgang von Waltershausen	Germany	12 October 1882	14 June 1954	Composer	Oberst Chabert
Hella Wuolijoki	Finland	22 July 1886	2 February 1954	Writer	Entäs nyt, Niskavuori?
Francis Brett Young	United Kingdom	29 June 1884	28 March 1954	Writer	List of novels of Francis Brett Young
Zhang Shichuan	China	1890	1954	Film director	Laborer's Love

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
Bharathidasan	India	29 April 1891	21 April 1964	Poet	" Tamil Thai Valthu"
Birinchi Kumar Barua	India	16 October 1908	30 March 1964	Scholar, writer
Carlos Brandt	Venezuela	11 October 1875	27 February 1964	Writer
Guru Dutt	India	9 July 1925	10 October 1964	Film director	Pyaasa
Mushtaq Hussain Khan	India	1878	13 August 1964	Musician
Jawaharlal Nehru	India	14 November 1889	27 May 1964	Politician	An Autobiography

Countries with life + 50 years

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

Names	Country	Birth	Death	Occupation	Notable work
Gilbert Archey	New Zealand	4 August 1890	20 October 1974	Zoologist	The Moa, a Study of the Dinornithiformes
Farid al-Atrash	Egypt	1917	26 December 1974	Composer
H. E. Bates	United Kingdom	16 May 1905	29 January 1974	Writer	The Darling Buds of May
Erick Berry	United States	4 January 1892	February 1974	Writer	The Winged Girl of Knossos
Hector Bolitho	New Zealand	28 May 1897	12 September 1974	Writer	Albert the Good and the Victorian Reign
Nellie Coad	New Zealand	15 October 1883	6 September 1974	Teacher, writer
Phillis Emily Cunnington	United Kingdom	1 November 1887	24 October 1974	Physician, historian	Handbook of English Mediaeval Costume
Maurice Duggan	New Zealand	25 November 1922	11 December 1974	Writer	Summer in the Gravel Pit
Duke Ellington	United States	29 April 1899	24 May 1974	Composer	Duke Ellington discography
Julius Evola	Italy	19 May 1898	11 June 1974	Philosopher	Revolt Against the Modern World
Louise Fitzhugh	United States	5 October 1928	19 November 1974	Writer	Harriet the Spy
Georgette Heyer	United Kingdom	16 August 1902	4 July 1974	Writer	List of works by Georgette Heyer
Eve Langley	New Zealand	1 September 1904	1 June 1974	Writer	The Pea-Pickers
Eric Linklater	United Kingdom	8 March 1899	7 November 1974	Writer, poet	The Wind on the Moon
Walter Lippmann	United States	23 September 1889	14 December 1974	Writer	Public Opinion
Margaret MacPherson	New Zealand	19 June 1895	14 September 1974	Writer, journalist	A Symposium Against War
P. Schuyler Miller	United States	21 February 1912	13 October 1974	Writer
Stanley Mullen	United States	20 June 1911	1974	Artist, writer	Kinsmen of the Dragon
Leslie Munro	New Zealand	26 February 1901	13 February 1974	Politician, writer	United Nations: hope for a divided world
Douglas Robb	New Zealand	1899	1974	Physician, writer	Medical Odyssey
William Sloane	United States	15 August 1906	25 September 1974	Writer	To Walk the Night
Sheila Stuart	Scotland	1892	1974	Writer	Alison's Highland Holiday
Jacqueline Susann	United States	20 August 1918	21 September 1974	Writer	Valley of the Dolls
Robert Charles Zaehner	United Kingdom	8 April 1913	24 November 1974	Scholar	Zurvan, Mysticism, Our Savage God

Countries with life + 80 years

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.

Names	Country	Birth	Death	Occupation	Notable work
Enrique Díez Canedo	Spain	7 January 1879	6 June 1944	Poet
Joaquín Álvarez Quintero	Spain	20 January 1873	14 June 1944	Playwright
Antonio Videgain	Spain	10 March 1869	9 February 1944	Composer

Australia and Canada

In 2004 copyright in Australia changed from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, in line with the United States and the European Union. But the change was not made retroactive (unlike the 1995 change in the European Union which brought some (British and possibly other) authors back into copyright, especially those who died from 1925 to 1944). Hence the work of an author who died before 1955 is normally in the public domain in Australia; but the copyright of authors was extended to 70 years after death for those who died in 1955 or later, and no more Australian authors will come out of copyright until 1 January 2026 (those who died in 1955). ^[1]

Similarly, Canada amended its Copyright Act in 2022 from a "plus 50" law to a "plus 70" law, coming into force on December 30, 2022, but does not revive expired copyright. ^{[2] [3]} No more new Canadian authors will come out of copyright until 1 January 2043 (those who died in 1972). Crown copyright was not changed, thus any government works published in 1974 will enter the public domain in 2025. ^[4]

United States

Under the Copyright Term Extension Act, books and other works published in 1929 and films released in 1929 will enter the public domain in 2025. ^[5] Sound recordings that were published in 1924 will also enter the public domain. ^[6] The characters Buck Rogers, ^[7] Captain Easy ^[8] and Popeye the Sailor Man will enter the public domain in 2025. ^[9] The same happens for the first Tarzan strips illustrated by Hal Foster that were launched in 1929. ^[8]

Unpublished works whose authors died in 1954 will enter the public domain in 2025.

Among the films that will enter public domain in 2025 are the following:

• The Cocoanuts, the first film of the Marx Brothers
• The Broadway Melody, the second recipient of the Academy Award for Best Picture
• Spite Marriage, Buster Keaton's final full-length feature as a director
• Welcome Danger, Harold Lloyd's first sound film
• On with the Show!, the first sound film in color
• The Taming of the Shrew, the first Shakespeare film adaptation with sound
• Hallelujah, the first Hollywood film with an all-black cast
• The Cock-Eyed World, sequel to What Price Glory? (1926)
• Show Boat, containing some songs from the 1927 musical
• Blackmail, Alfred Hitchcock's first sound film
• Atlantic, the first sound film about the Titanic disaster
• The Three Masks (Les trois masques), the first French sound film
• Land Without Women (Das Land ohne Frauen), the first German sound film
• Woman in the Moon (Frau im Mond), directed by Fritz Lang
• Pandora’s Box (Die Büchse der Pandora) and Diary of a Lost Girl (Tagebuch einer Verlorenen), both directed by G. W. Pabst and starring Louise Brooks
• Drifters, a documentary film about Britain's North Sea herring fishery
• Un chien Andalou, directed by Luis Bunuel and cowritten by Salvador Dali
• The Mysteries of the Chateau of Dice (Les mystères du Château du Dé), directed by Man Ray
• Rain, a Dutch documentary short
• Sound versions of the Mickey Mouse cartoons The Gallopin' Gaucho, Plane Crazy and The Karnival Kid (in which Mickey speaks his first words), and the first Silly Symphony cartoons, including The Skeleton Dance.

Examples of important literary works entering the public domain include Ernest Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms, Ellery Queen's detective novel The Roman Hat Mystery, Margery Allingham detective novel The Crime at Black Dudley, the first English translation of Erich Maria Remarque's novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Alfred Döblin's novel Berlin Alexanderplatz in its original German, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's novel Pather Panchali in its original Bengali, Lynd Ward's graphic novel Gods' Man, William Faulkner's novel The Sound and the Fury, Virginia Woolf's essay A Room of One's Own, Ludwig Wittgenstein's essay Some Remarks on Logical Form and the first part of the 14th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica.

Important artworks entering the public domain include René Magritte's painting The Treachery of Images, Salvador Dali's paintings The Great Masturbator and The Accommodations of Desire, Wassily Kandinsky's painting Upward, Edward Hopper's painting Chop Suey, Kawamura Kiyoo's painting Founding of the Nation, Julio Romero de Torres' painting La Fuensanta, August Sander's photograph Berlin Coal Carrier and the first design of the Barcelona chair.

See also

• 1954 in literature and 1974 in literature for deaths of writers
• Public Domain Day
• Creative Commons

References

External links

• Media related to Undelete in 2025 at Wikimedia Commons
• "Authors by Year of Death – 1954". AuthorAndBookInfo.com.
• Popular Books of 1929 at Goodreads