Happy Public Domain Day! On January 1, works published by authors who died in 1953 enter the public domain in most of the world. In the USA, all works published in 1928 will enter the public domain.

**Entering the public domain worldwide:** Collected works of all authors who died in the year 1953 (Life of the Author + 70 Years)

**Entering the public domain in the USA:** All works published in the year 1928.*

*In the USA, works published before 1978 are copyrighted for a maximum of 95 years, regardless of when the author dies.

This year also marks the end of the long-simmering copyright battle over Mickey Mouse – his first incarnation, as *Steamboat Willie* in 1928, is copyright-free as of midnight.

Happy Public Domain Day!

by PowerToTheSoviets