Mark your calendars for ten years from now. On January 1st, 2035, The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Of Mice and Men, Ninotchka, and other cinema classics will be free for all.
She did a great job, especially considering the journalist's puerile line of questioning: "But how make money?" "Public domain bad because slasher movies?"
Popeye was actually based on a real person named Frank "Rocky" Fiegel , born in 1868 - 1947 in Poland. He came to the states and joined the US Navy in 1887. Tiny Tim, real name Herbert Buckingham Khaury,, passed at 64 while on stage in Minneapolis in 1996
"Popeye is on the run as the prime suspect in the suspicious death of Bluto. He is pursued by the relentless detective Sherlock Holmes who is determined to solve the crime. A young reporter named Tintin is the only one who believes in Popeye's innocence."
The key thing is that the copyright applies only to that iteration for the year when the copyright expires. Updates after the original would still be under a copyright until those expire respectfully.
Exactly. Nearly everything in this video is still copyrighted material. It should be noted to show the difference, that the versions of mickey on the late show, and comic strip popeye before spinach are actually public domain, while the rest are still off limits.
but the later creation are just an updated version bc the moment the original become public domain, people can alter and create anything that may have similarity with the updated (currently copyrighted) one.
@Viviano_Magami True, but some of the original copyright holders (e.g., Disney) was keen on getting the updated version, no matter how minor, copyrighted. Other copyright holders may have focused only on the original and not copyrighted the updated versions. The whole copyright thing is interesting and those who have mastered it (and thanks to good lawyers) will come out ahead.
@@fredricklee True, Disney (Corp) was very keen on retaining copyrights for all of their IPs. They were chiefly responsible for changing federal law, extending copyright terms to 95 years, which makes the fact that most of their animated films throughout the decades were ripped straight from the public domain all the more infuriating.
The only character that I begrudge falling into public domain is Peter Pan. And that's only because, in one of the most unselfish acts in creative history, J. M. Barrie handed over the rights to the character to the London Hospital for Sick Children (now the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children). Now that anyone can theoretically adapt Peter Pan, the children's hospital is no longer receiving royalties.
I think it's still considered good form to make a contribution to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children if you make money from PETER PAN, especially by performing the original play.
Tiny Tim wasn’t a comedian. He was genuine and probably the most sincere, innocent entertainer of his time. His knowledge of early 20th century musical was unrivalled. Name a song and he could whip out that ukulele and give you a perfect rendition. He was a genius in his own way. An acquired taste but a great talent!
It’s too bad they didn’t really talk about the limitations of public domain. Just because Popeye is in a he public domain doesn’t mean all of Popeye’s works are in PD. For example, the fact that Popeye eats spinach doesn’t come out until later so that can’t be used in PD.
Funny thing about the spinach powers is that they might actually be PD as well. The comic they were from was from 1931 (IIRC) but the copyright was never renewed.
This is a great comment. Not to stand up for King Features Syndicate, but the Popeye clip from “..Ali Baba..” is not from 1929 so should still be under copyright. Anyone should be very careful about using the Sailor Man !
Copyright originally was intended for the smaller creator's income during their lifetime. It should have never been allowed to expand past that to benefit bigger companies.
CORRECTION: Copyright protection only applies when a person intend to use the image to profit. You could always recreate copyright material for personal use without penalty. You can find a lot of fan recreations of copyright material online since they are not asking to be paid. Even kids recreate images for their own use. As far as losing anything after they enter public domain, we are still losing things from IPs before they enter public domain. The latest Star Wars under Disney is not Lucas’ vision. IPs are altered for “modern audiences” all the time now to push social justice ideologies instead of entertaining.
Using the existence of low budget horror flicks to be against the public domain in general has always been dumb to me. The public domain is a huge cultural touchstone and repository of human storytelling that lets ANYONE make ANY reimagining or new take on classic stories. Think of all the different kinds of Dracula's and Greek myths you've seen. As the Duke University lady said, those cheap horror flicks go viral in the short term because of the contrast and low barrier to entry. I'll take a hundred of those that'll inevitably be forgotten if it means anyone can make their own take on the characters.
copyright should be life of the creator plus 10 years. maybe 15 years, tops. there needs to be a way better balance between protecting the IP rights of the creator, and protecting the cultural right for people to build and expand upon the creations of others for the flourishing of art.
I'd be fine with extensions of 5 or 10 years that need to be renewed with increasing fines every time. That way even corporate IP isn't locked away forever.
@chaosfire321 if it's gonna be fine, it needs to be some kind of percentage relative to the owner's net worth. otherwise the ultra wealthy corporations will just pay the fines forever and never free up the IP
I'm glad I saw this. I mean I already saw Steve shives talk about it in greater detail about copyrights that have worn off but I like this summarized version and what they had to say here
Nope, sorry...NOT SORRY for public domain. This forces people to become creative with their WORKS, even if the benefits were CHARITIES, they NEED more people CREATING ORIGINAL WORKS to benefit humankind. It causes people to get off their lazy and restful butts and makes them CREATE something else that will ALSO benefit society and someone else doesn't have to perpetually worry about selfishly holding on to something 1,000 years out because they "got lucky" and then rested on their laurels thinking money perpetually is OWED to them, their establishments, or families "JUST BECAUSE" a great uncle or whatever decided to patent something years ago. You want those benefits, you got to keep WORKING on them. It keeps our societies from becoming STALE and LAZY. Even as an artist myself, I SUPPORT the idea of public domain and know it keeps creative content flowing.
I honestly think it should be 50 years (or to the end of it's creator's life if they live longer then the 50 years after their creation was made) not 95 years. After 50 years there is little chance that the person that actually put the work into it is still getting the benefit for it. Also if the public buys it over and over and over... when does the public own it... 95 years is utterly ridiculous, it's just milking the public for cash at that point. There's also the point where if something is actually relevant after that many years isn't it part of our culture at that point? When is something considered sacred to us, part of our own lore? Could you imagine someone owning the rights to 500 year+ fairy-tales or of William Shakespeare's plays? People claiming those would be the same mindset of people owning the rights of works 50+ years. It's just been a part of our culture longer.
Does that mean Charlie Brown will go into the public domain in 2045 and Snoopy in 2053 (he was introduced in 1958) if it follows the 95-year rule? Peanuts will turn 75 this year, so 20 years from now, they will start being in the PD based on the character's debut year. If it had followed the old copyright rule, Peanuts would have made 50 years in 2000 (which they did barely; the original birthdate was October 3, 1950, but there was a special on their 50th anniversary before that date), but Charles Schulz died on February 12, 2000, and it would have gone into PD. However, you must also consider that Schulz's family currently owns the rights and trademarks of Peanuts and its characters. They are still known through their strips running from 1950 to 2000 in news outlets, new specials/TV shows, and the Peanuts Movie in 2015, plus their deal with Apple TV to air their specials and merchandising. It matters if the family is making money while preserving Schulz's legacy, which has spanned generations. Charlie Brown is relatable to everyone who has been ignored, bullied, and/or teased but also knows that tomorrow is another day (and how many times CB has tried to kick the football but always ends up with Lucy pulling it away from him, but he knows one day he will win one over Lucy). Snoopy is Charlie Brown's alter ego. He is the outgoing, fun-loving, adventurous beagle with his bird buddy Woodstock in his adventures. Even 25 years after Schulz's death, we still love Peanuts and the message of love, friendship, and life through a child's viewpoint, and that is something we need more of as life becomes more complicated.
We heard several years ago that the movie _It's a Wonderful Life_ had fallen into the public domain, after less than 95 years, and one Christmas many local stations went about showing it. Then it was announced that some company had managed to "buy ownership", and it was no longer public domain. I gather that could only happen because its falling INTO PD was not based on the 95-year limit, and the 95-year limit doesn't have that option.
I wish that more the more recent versions of these now-public domain works were not included in this broadcast. For example, the original Tintin materials may now be copyright free, but Spielberg can and will go after anyone who uses clips from his 2011 movie.
Every time the issue of copyright arises, corporate media outlets like CBS reveal how deeply beholden they are to powerful interests. We should be celebrating these works entering into the public domain as gifts to popular culture, rather than framing it as a loss of credit for long-dead artists or a loss of money for the already obscenely wealthy estates or media conglomerates who own these works. The fact that the interviewer frames the discussion in this way is sickening.
There are a lot of misconceptions about copyright and some of the statements in this report are misleading. For example, _the song_ "Singin' in the Rain" was published in 1929 in the US and has therefore gone into the public domain as of Jan. 1st. The movie, from 1952, won't go into the public domain for a very long time. So, anyone can record or perform the song without paying royalties, but royalties and fees would still apply if someone wanted to show the movie at a public venue, broadcast it, or sell DVDs of it. Some people believe that copyright should never expire and other believe that nothing should be copyrighted. The system of copyrights, rights management and clearance is complicated and wasn't designed for amateurs or small-timers. I'm both of those things and made 3 attempts to acquire permission to record copyrighted material. People who own copyrights don't want to be bothered by small-timers and I failed to get permission. At that point, I decided to stick to material that I create myself or is in the public domain. Many creators of music join a rights management organization, such as ASCAP, EMI or the GEMA. This organization then takes over the enforcement of the copyright and collection of royalties. Joining such an organization is also not for small-timers. Whatever one's opinion about copyright law, it can be an expensive mistake to violate another person's copyright.
There's a phenomenon in classical music where works are hundreds of years old and you could freely reprint them (and correct me if this doesn't apply ro all old works) BUT you can't use other publications as your source, you have to copy from the original text and "interpret" the author's scribblings.yourself. I wonder if studios go and say "well you can use these movies but you have to generate your own print from the original film strip" since you weren't the one that made the digital copy and did all the image fixes.
6:14 this statement is absurdly untrue. Also using the words “singing in the rain” in a sentence is not a copywrite violation nor was it ever, it’s simply use of the English language. It was only ever a copywrite violation if you used the music in your own work and claimed it as your own or for profit without permission. Or if you just put new words to the melody and sold it as your own. Day time television deeply disgusts me.
When Batman hits public domain I can’t wait to see a horror film of Batman because many Batman fans wanted to see something like that especially from the comics
The 1930 American war film, All Quiet On the Western Front, will be released next year. Nevertheless, I’ll do my best in adjusting some of the Mickey Mouse Cartoons into YTPs and use other materials for creative purposes for my channel when I get the chance. Until then, the public domain is an incredible resource for engaging with historical content, especially when done right (unlike the cheap horror thrills)…
I sure do remember in 1990, as oat bran was the latest food fad those commercials for Quaker Oats featuring Popeye saying "...can the spinach, I wants me oatmeal...!" sure sounded like a big lawsuit waiting to happen! Haha! Turns out I read Quaker paid a lot to King Features Syndicate to be able to do so!
I love how scholars are always getting down on horror in culture as low-brow. Then horror creators quietly release something that changes the entire cultural landscape, forcing the scholars to "make exceptions." Cinema literally would not exist if horror and comedy had not been the first things released. We are still talking about BLOOD AND HONEY, now on CBS. Not many Serious Dramas from the past year can boast that.
I just wanna preface that I hate horror movies. Still, I find that every single time interviewers (or the internet, for that matter) continuously hammer on the point of Public Domain works falling victiom to more adult genres and productions, I can only roll my eyes up. This is, for me, the absolute symbol of a tired culture of endless consumption, no less. It's as if people forgot that, if something bothers you or you do not like it, you are free to disengage from it, instead of having to cOnSuMe it and hate it because it's not your thing (but everyone is talking about). Anyway, I agree with you. Comedy and horror are _always_ snubbed and otherwise shunned in erudite circles, even though they were THE dawn of the industry and academia.
What's their next move, can "The Battle Of The Century" movie (the very first film to include the iconic pie to the face gags and pie fights) and "public domain" co-exsist? If they do, will the public domain co-exsisting don't need to include horror stuff like "Winnie the pooh", "Mickey mouse", "popeye" and the others soon to become in horror film form in the public domain family?
I was working with a 22 year old apprentice and he had never heard of Popeye. I was shocked and disgusted. He also couldn't tell the time on an analogue clock. We're doomed.
The spinach-eating version of Popeye may not be in the public domain. He hadn't eaten spinach in 1929. This is a cool summary, but the law is much more complex than this. DO NOT start making t-shirts without getting a legal opinion.
Thirty years is all the amount of time works should have copyright protection for. The founding fathers had it so it would only be fourteen years with an optional extension of another fourteen if the creator was still alive. If it was thirty then everything from 1995 would be Public Domain this year. It is more than fair and a good amount of time for a work to make money even if not a hit the first time and then when the copyright term expires it is available for everyone and the creator makes more product. The system has been abused for decades by corporations and estates (Disney and the Gershwin estate especially) not wanting to part with the works and hold onto them as long as possible because they are greedy aholes.
Booo I’m not a fan of this at all. If you build a company that’s successful enough to still be profiting off the images of your characters nearly 100 years later, you should get to keep them. I don’t like what Disney has become recently but they’ve put in several generations of work to create some of the most iconic works of all time; if they’re still successful enough to be able to afford to do so, Mickey shouldn’t be going into the public domain. It should wait until the company no longer exists.
Generally, yes. As mentioned in the clip, for example, the song "Singin' in the Rain," originally introduced in 1929, entered the public domain on January 1st, 2025.
There should be a law that you can use the character but you can't besmirch the original character. You shouldn't be allowed to make Winnie the Pooh a murderer. Get a life.
I disagree, I'm gonna go find the Winnie the Pooh slasher film right now, sounds absurdly excellent! "Credulous at best your desire to believe in angels in the hearts of men"...
Nope. Anyone can create ANYTHING they feel of the public domain. That's the appeal. Also, your arguing this because you don't want to see a children's character made edgy, but this would also make illegal anything that deconstructs or reinterprets a charater. No more serious retellings of a limited work. No more happier or cheerful reimagining's of a gross or terrible work. Only regurgitating the same stuff forever.
No come on why everything has to be a horror movie you know for Popeye I would stick with rule 34 at least I walk out embarrassed instead of frightened
If you don't like horror movies based on beloved children's characters who fall into the public domain, don't watch them, don't buy them, and don't help to promote them.
Mark your calendars for ten years from now. On January 1st, 2035, The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Of Mice and Men, Ninotchka, and other cinema classics will be free for all.
have you heard ov the internet... all those are free NOW
@@nunyanunya4147legally free
@ I meant free as in speech, not free as in beer.
That's what they said about Mickey Mouse in 1994...
I thought The Wizard of Oz never got copyrighted; isn't that why everyone does parodies of it and kids put on plays?
She was a great expert interviewee. Seemed like she was thrilled to share how much we gain from public domain works.
She did a great job, especially considering the journalist's puerile line of questioning: "But how make money?" "Public domain bad because slasher movies?"
Good job AOC
A law professor with a specialty in intellectual property was such a brilliant choice and her enthusiasm for the subject was infectious.
Popeye was actually based on a real person named Frank "Rocky" Fiegel , born in 1868 - 1947 in Poland. He came to the states and joined the US Navy in 1887. Tiny Tim, real name Herbert Buckingham Khaury,, passed at 64 while on stage in Minneapolis in 1996
Interesting, as Popeye was in the Coast Guard!
@
Interesting 🤔 ,,, Popeye is a cartoon… He is BASED on a real person just as Fred and Barney are BASED on the Honeymooners
Ok, TinTin being in the public domain is actually so exciting.
Only in USA. Over in Europe it is after x years after the death of the creator.
Just the 1929 version.
"Popeye is on the run as the prime suspect in the suspicious death of Bluto. He is pursued by the relentless detective Sherlock Holmes who is determined to solve the crime. A young reporter named Tintin is the only one who believes in Popeye's innocence."
once Batman and Superman enter public domain that will be a game changer.
And Star Trek
@@johncameron4194 there's only perhaps two Batman films until that happens.
@@johncameron4194star trek wont be available for 50 more years
Then they can join The Avengers!!! Imagine all the possibilities!!!
@@Pontius888 haha they could!
The key thing is that the copyright applies only to that iteration for the year when the copyright expires. Updates after the original would still be under a copyright until those expire respectfully.
Your point should have been clearly mentioned in this story.
Exactly. Nearly everything in this video is still copyrighted material. It should be noted to show the difference, that the versions of mickey on the late show, and comic strip popeye before spinach are actually public domain, while the rest are still off limits.
but the later creation are just an updated version bc the moment the original become public domain, people can alter and create anything that may have similarity with the updated (currently copyrighted) one.
@Viviano_Magami True, but some of the original copyright holders (e.g., Disney) was keen on getting the updated version, no matter how minor, copyrighted. Other copyright holders may have focused only on the original and not copyrighted the updated versions. The whole copyright thing is interesting and those who have mastered it (and thanks to good lawyers) will come out ahead.
@@fredricklee True, Disney (Corp) was very keen on retaining copyrights for all of their IPs. They were chiefly responsible for changing federal law, extending copyright terms to 95 years, which makes the fact that most of their animated films throughout the decades were ripped straight from the public domain all the more infuriating.
The only character that I begrudge falling into public domain is Peter Pan. And that's only because, in one of the most unselfish acts in creative history, J. M. Barrie handed over the rights to the character to the London Hospital for Sick Children (now the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children). Now that anyone can theoretically adapt Peter Pan, the children's hospital is no longer receiving royalties.
No. That specific Peter Pan copyright is in perpetuity but ONLY applies to the UK.
Your opinion is meaningless
I think it's still considered good form to make a contribution to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children if you make money from PETER PAN, especially by performing the original play.
@@999apeman US copyright laws only apply to US copywriters. Not international copyright so he has a point.
@@KUarentaKILLA I guess you'll be missing your buddies at Charm Academy now school's out.
Now Popeye can join the MCU
No chance, Popeye solos the entire verse with nothing but a can of spinach 😭It’s too soon for Doom to get one shot
Tiny Tim wasn’t a comedian. He was genuine and probably the most sincere, innocent entertainer of his time. His knowledge of early 20th century musical was unrivalled. Name a song and he could whip out that ukulele and give you a perfect rendition. He was a genius in his own way. An acquired taste but a great talent!
Hopefully, nintendo will be able to re-release their popeye arcade game.
Bluto is still copyrighted for a few years
its only the very first iteration based off the comic solely.
Yeah the version that eats spinach to power up has a long ways to go. Original Popeye got his strength from petting a hen.
Shockingly, this article did a terrible job explaining the limitations of PD.
I’m just waiting for Song of the South to go into public domain.
Song Of The South enters the public domain in 2042
It’s too bad they didn’t really talk about the limitations of public domain. Just because Popeye is in a he public domain doesn’t mean all of Popeye’s works are in PD. For example, the fact that Popeye eats spinach doesn’t come out until later so that can’t be used in PD.
Funny thing about the spinach powers is that they might actually be PD as well. The comic they were from was from 1931 (IIRC) but the copyright was never renewed.
This is a great comment. Not to stand up for King Features Syndicate, but the Popeye clip from “..Ali Baba..” is not from 1929 so should still be under copyright.
Anyone should be very careful about using the Sailor Man !
Let's remember it's only as long as 95 years in the US because of Disney.
Copyright originally was intended for the smaller creator's income during their lifetime. It should have never been allowed to expand past that to benefit bigger companies.
Aside from Disney, no one has yet to do anything of value with Mickey or Winnie.
Its not 'only' because of disney. Its all of the corporations. Everyone with IP wants to keep it for as long as possible.
I guess because they still use the characters
It's worth remembering that Walt Disney died in 1966, and during his lifetime, he never lifted a finger to get copyright terms extended.
CORRECTION: Copyright protection only applies when a person intend to use the image to profit. You could always recreate copyright material for personal use without penalty. You can find a lot of fan recreations of copyright material online since they are not asking to be paid. Even kids recreate images for their own use. As far as losing anything after they enter public domain, we are still losing things from IPs before they enter public domain. The latest Star Wars under Disney is not Lucas’ vision. IPs are altered for “modern audiences” all the time now to push social justice ideologies instead of entertaining.
Watching some of these old clips makes me appreciate all those who came before us and helped pave the way for what we have now.
Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve were great friends.
Imagine the Superman/Popeye crossover movie we never got.
If Bill Clinton had not signed the Sonny Bono act more than 20 years ago, so many works would have been in public domain today
Using the existence of low budget horror flicks to be against the public domain in general has always been dumb to me. The public domain is a huge cultural touchstone and repository of human storytelling that lets ANYONE make ANY reimagining or new take on classic stories. Think of all the different kinds of Dracula's and Greek myths you've seen.
As the Duke University lady said, those cheap horror flicks go viral in the short term because of the contrast and low barrier to entry. I'll take a hundred of those that'll inevitably be forgotten if it means anyone can make their own take on the characters.
copyright should be life of the creator plus 10 years. maybe 15 years, tops.
there needs to be a way better balance between protecting the IP rights of the creator, and protecting the cultural right for people to build and expand upon the creations of others for the flourishing of art.
I'd be fine with extensions of 5 or 10 years that need to be renewed with increasing fines every time. That way even corporate IP isn't locked away forever.
@chaosfire321 if it's gonna be fine, it needs to be some kind of percentage relative to the owner's net worth. otherwise the ultra wealthy corporations will just pay the fines forever and never free up the IP
We better get that Tin Tin sequel
Particularly excited about The Wild Party (1929) entering the public domain, such a great film!!
On New Year's Day, 2041, the Railway Series book, The Three Railway Engines would enter the public domain.
I'm glad I saw this. I mean I already saw Steve shives talk about it in greater detail about copyrights that have worn off but I like this summarized version and what they had to say here
Nope, sorry...NOT SORRY for public domain. This forces people to become creative with their WORKS, even if the benefits were CHARITIES, they NEED more people CREATING ORIGINAL WORKS to benefit humankind. It causes people to get off their lazy and restful butts and makes them CREATE something else that will ALSO benefit society and someone else doesn't have to perpetually worry about selfishly holding on to something 1,000 years out because they "got lucky" and then rested on their laurels thinking money perpetually is OWED to them, their establishments, or families "JUST BECAUSE" a great uncle or whatever decided to patent something years ago. You want those benefits, you got to keep WORKING on them. It keeps our societies from becoming STALE and LAZY. Even as an artist myself, I SUPPORT the idea of public domain and know it keeps creative content flowing.
Just think of your own stuff. 🙄
95 years is to long for stuff to be held by copyright. It was originally 75....but Disney lobbied congress to extend it..
I honestly think it should be 50 years (or to the end of it's creator's life if they live longer then the 50 years after their creation was made) not 95 years. After 50 years there is little chance that the person that actually put the work into it is still getting the benefit for it. Also if the public buys it over and over and over... when does the public own it... 95 years is utterly ridiculous, it's just milking the public for cash at that point. There's also the point where if something is actually relevant after that many years isn't it part of our culture at that point? When is something considered sacred to us, part of our own lore? Could you imagine someone owning the rights to 500 year+ fairy-tales or of William Shakespeare's plays? People claiming those would be the same mindset of people owning the rights of works 50+ years. It's just been a part of our culture longer.
Does that mean Charlie Brown will go into the public domain in 2045 and Snoopy in 2053 (he was introduced in 1958) if it follows the 95-year rule? Peanuts will turn 75 this year, so 20 years from now, they will start being in the PD based on the character's debut year. If it had followed the old copyright rule, Peanuts would have made 50 years in 2000 (which they did barely; the original birthdate was October 3, 1950, but there was a special on their 50th anniversary before that date), but Charles Schulz died on February 12, 2000, and it would have gone into PD.
However, you must also consider that Schulz's family currently owns the rights and trademarks of Peanuts and its characters. They are still known through their strips running from 1950 to 2000 in news outlets, new specials/TV shows, and the Peanuts Movie in 2015, plus their deal with Apple TV to air their specials and merchandising. It matters if the family is making money while preserving Schulz's legacy, which has spanned generations. Charlie Brown is relatable to everyone who has been ignored, bullied, and/or teased but also knows that tomorrow is another day (and how many times CB has tried to kick the football but always ends up with Lucy pulling it away from him, but he knows one day he will win one over Lucy). Snoopy is Charlie Brown's alter ego. He is the outgoing, fun-loving, adventurous beagle with his bird buddy Woodstock in his adventures. Even 25 years after Schulz's death, we still love Peanuts and the message of love, friendship, and life through a child's viewpoint, and that is something we need more of as life becomes more complicated.
We heard several years ago that the movie _It's a Wonderful Life_ had fallen into the public domain, after less than 95 years, and one Christmas many local stations went about showing it. Then it was announced that some company had managed to "buy ownership", and it was no longer public domain. I gather that could only happen because its falling INTO PD was not based on the 95-year limit, and the 95-year limit doesn't have that option.
I wish that more the more recent versions of these now-public domain works were not included in this broadcast. For example, the original Tintin materials may now be copyright free, but Spielberg can and will go after anyone who uses clips from his 2011 movie.
Every time the issue of copyright arises, corporate media outlets like CBS reveal how deeply beholden they are to powerful interests. We should be celebrating these works entering into the public domain as gifts to popular culture, rather than framing it as a loss of credit for long-dead artists or a loss of money for the already obscenely wealthy estates or media conglomerates who own these works. The fact that the interviewer frames the discussion in this way is sickening.
Popeye can't be used with reference to spinach. that aspect of the character didn't come until later.
that's disputed because the strip that introduced that characteristic may not have properly had its copyright renewed
When will Superman Kal-L go into the public domain? I'm already designing my own version of steamboat Willie analog Sherlock Holmes etc.
Wikipedia says that the first Superman comic was published in April 1938. So in the USA, 1938+96=2034. So, January 1st, 2034.
Just a year after The Hobbit
We can thanks Disney for waiting for 95 years!!
Awesome, have at it folks!
What's considered as public, should be talked about more.
Let's not forget how DISNEY destroyed copyright.... Stuff is held by major corporations for far too long.
There are a lot of misconceptions about copyright and some of the statements in this report are misleading. For example, _the song_ "Singin' in the Rain" was published in 1929 in the US and has therefore gone into the public domain as of Jan. 1st. The movie, from 1952, won't go into the public domain for a very long time. So, anyone can record or perform the song without paying royalties, but royalties and fees would still apply if someone wanted to show the movie at a public venue, broadcast it, or sell DVDs of it.
Some people believe that copyright should never expire and other believe that nothing should be copyrighted. The system of copyrights, rights management and clearance is complicated and wasn't designed for amateurs or small-timers. I'm both of those things and made 3 attempts to acquire permission to record copyrighted material. People who own copyrights don't want to be bothered by small-timers and I failed to get permission. At that point, I decided to stick to material that I create myself or is in the public domain.
Many creators of music join a rights management organization, such as ASCAP, EMI or the GEMA. This organization then takes over the enforcement of the copyright and collection of royalties. Joining such an organization is also not for small-timers.
Whatever one's opinion about copyright law, it can be an expensive mistake to violate another person's copyright.
There's a phenomenon in classical music where works are hundreds of years old and you could freely reprint them (and correct me if this doesn't apply ro all old works) BUT you can't use other publications as your source, you have to copy from the original text and "interpret" the author's scribblings.yourself.
I wonder if studios go and say "well you can use these movies but you have to generate your own print from the original film strip" since you weren't the one that made the digital copy and did all the image fixes.
honestly we need to roll back the number of years disney stretched it out to be.
6:14 this statement is absurdly untrue. Also using the words “singing in the rain” in a sentence is not a copywrite violation nor was it ever, it’s simply use of the English language. It was only ever a copywrite violation if you used the music in your own work and claimed it as your own or for profit without permission. Or if you just put new words to the melody and sold it as your own. Day time television deeply disgusts me.
When Batman hits public domain I can’t wait to see a horror film of Batman because many Batman fans wanted to see something like that especially from the comics
The 1930 American war film, All Quiet On the Western Front, will be released next year.
Nevertheless, I’ll do my best in adjusting some of the Mickey Mouse Cartoons into YTPs and use other materials for creative purposes for my channel when I get the chance.
Until then, the public domain is an incredible resource for engaging with historical content, especially when done right (unlike the cheap horror thrills)…
I sure do remember in 1990, as oat bran was the latest food fad those commercials for Quaker Oats featuring Popeye saying "...can the spinach, I wants me oatmeal...!" sure sounded like a big lawsuit waiting to happen! Haha! Turns out I read Quaker paid a lot to King Features Syndicate to be able to do so!
I love how scholars are always getting down on horror in culture as low-brow. Then horror creators quietly release something that changes the entire cultural landscape, forcing the scholars to "make exceptions." Cinema literally would not exist if horror and comedy had not been the first things released. We are still talking about BLOOD AND HONEY, now on CBS. Not many Serious Dramas from the past year can boast that.
I just wanna preface that I hate horror movies.
Still, I find that every single time interviewers (or the internet, for that matter) continuously hammer on the point of Public Domain works falling victiom to more adult genres and productions, I can only roll my eyes up.
This is, for me, the absolute symbol of a tired culture of endless consumption, no less. It's as if people forgot that, if something bothers you or you do not like it, you are free to disengage from it, instead of having to cOnSuMe it and hate it because it's not your thing (but everyone is talking about).
Anyway, I agree with you. Comedy and horror are _always_ snubbed and otherwise shunned in erudite circles, even though they were THE dawn of the industry and academia.
does this mean we can finally create the Tintin Sequel everybody has been waiting decades on?
Yes, like many reimagining of Sherlock Holmes.
What's their next move, can "The Battle Of The Century" movie (the very first film to include the iconic pie to the face gags and pie fights) and "public domain" co-exsist? If they do, will the public domain co-exsisting don't need to include horror stuff like "Winnie the pooh", "Mickey mouse", "popeye" and the others soon to become in horror film form in the public domain family?
This was a really fun story to cover - who’s up to reinterpret the Popeye comic strip? Singin’ in the Rain? Or Ain’t Misbehavin’?
Yes
shame about Canadian's public domain laws being somehow tied to US public domain laws now, not sure how that happened, seems illegal.
Popeye: Blood and Spinach is coming mark my words
Boy they was COOKING in 1929🔥🔥🔥🔥
I think any company with real money is too scared to try to do anything with Steamboat Mickey😅
I dont get it... titntin is still owned by Herge family/publishers back in Europe. Did they not renew their IP ?
Different countries, different laws on copyright expiration
Popeye the Slayer Man sounds fun tbh
Is this how the horror version of Popeye was able to be made?
How can 95 years be enough to make money of an IP... It should be 195!
Does it mean the song "Singing in the Rain" can be used freely by content creators in TH-cam without getting copyright strikes?
Only the 1929 version; probably not the Gene Kelly version of 1952.
I want a copy of "The Wild Party" 1929 film with the "IT" girl Clara Bow. When will it be available? I tried buying it on Amazon, but not available.
You can download for yourself a free copy of Clara Bow’s “The Wild Party” from those wonderful public domain folk at the Internet Archive. 😉
@@Mr3Submarine Thank you, my friend. I will do that.
@@catlover34flYer welcome! 😉
I was working with a 22 year old apprentice and he had never heard of Popeye. I was shocked and disgusted. He also couldn't tell the time on an analogue clock. We're doomed.
Tarzan meets the Predator would be awesome!
Isn't it so weird we can own an image?
"Those who grew up in the 20th century" Is that what we call it now? No I'm not old, you're old...
When intellect becomes property, only certain people will be allowed to have ideas
The spinach-eating version of Popeye may not be in the public domain. He hadn't eaten spinach in 1929. This is a cool summary, but the law is much more complex than this. DO NOT start making t-shirts without getting a legal opinion.
Popeye such an underrated movie. Loved it ever since I was a kid. Miss you, Robin!
RIP Robin and Shelly Duvall, aka Popeye and Olive Oyl.
YES GROUCHO MARKS IS AVAILABLE
Can’t wait for all the horror movies to come from this
I'll take a 3rd Sherlock Homes movie, thank you.
Thirty years is all the amount of time works should have copyright protection for. The founding fathers had it so it would only be fourteen years with an optional extension of another fourteen if the creator was still alive. If it was thirty then everything from 1995 would be Public Domain this year. It is more than fair and a good amount of time for a work to make money even if not a hit the first time and then when the copyright term expires it is available for everyone and the creator makes more product.
The system has been abused for decades by corporations and estates (Disney and the Gershwin estate especially) not wanting to part with the works and hold onto them as long as possible because they are greedy aholes.
TinTin, Winnie the Pooh etc are not American owned. So why does US copywrite laws have any weight on international law?
Was about time
Who cares about people making schlocky horror films? That's not a hazard of the public domain it's a feature of these stories belonging to *everyone*
Whoever wrote the godforsaken 2 paragraph sentence at the start of this segment should be fired
Public Domain doesn’t give you the right to Trademark. So forget a new TinTin appearing.
I Prefer the Disney Versions of Mickey Mouse and Winnie The Pooh
Me too
So….whats even the point of copyrighting anything
Where is hunters bathtub art 😎🍟
Could we please do another Tintin movie now????
I wonder how much the chinese would exploit these
1:47 Martha My Dear?
Whoa it’s not Mickey Mouse, it’s Steamboat Willie who is in the public domain… CBS finna get someone sued
No, it's the 1928 and now the 1929 versions of Mickey Mouse. "Steamboat Willie" (1928) is simply the name of the first Mickey Mouse cartoon.
this country put everything up for sale
be on the lookout for a bunch of horror movies
Booo I’m not a fan of this at all. If you build a company that’s successful enough to still be profiting off the images of your characters nearly 100 years later, you should get to keep them. I don’t like what Disney has become recently but they’ve put in several generations of work to create some of the most iconic works of all time; if they’re still successful enough to be able to afford to do so, Mickey shouldn’t be going into the public domain. It should wait until the company no longer exists.
Isn't it nice they ALLOW us to do that?? Pfffft....
I can’t wait to see what’s gonna happen when Superman enters a public domain in a few years from now
AOC finally learning something about culture
Cocoanuts in smash bros??
Free Love
Xi Jin Ping is public domain?
So, do music fall under this law.
Generally, yes. As mentioned in the clip, for example, the song "Singin' in the Rain," originally introduced in 1929, entered the public domain on January 1st, 2025.
Baby girl is a Nolan fan😅. She can’t wait for that movie man
Hoard works until nobody cared anymore...
Steamboat Willie, wow thanks...
cuba is
Wish it was Batman we haven't had a TV Batman in 60 years Adam west was the first and last TV Batman
The earliest version of Batman will become public domain in 2035.
I want a new poppye video game
I think they already have some Popeye video games, but maybe they could make new ones.
Give me a Popeye slasher movie you cowards!
I miss cartoons on Saturday morning.
There should be a law that you can use the character but you can't besmirch the original character. You shouldn't be allowed to make Winnie the Pooh a murderer. Get a life.
Why? Killer pooh while tiptoe through the tulips is playing would be badass!
I disagree, I'm gonna go find the Winnie the Pooh slasher film right now, sounds absurdly excellent!
"Credulous at best your desire to believe in angels in the hearts of men"...
I agree.
Nope. Anyone can create ANYTHING they feel of the public domain. That's the appeal.
Also, your arguing this because you don't want to see a children's character made edgy, but this would also make illegal anything that deconstructs or reinterprets a charater. No more serious retellings of a limited work. No more happier or cheerful reimagining's of a gross or terrible work. Only regurgitating the same stuff forever.
I was genuinely interested then I heard “I’m so glad you asked that” in the most inauthentic delivery possible. I am just completely uninterested now.
BRING ON THE SLASHER VERSIONS!
No come on why everything has to be a horror movie you know for Popeye I would stick with rule 34 at least I walk out embarrassed instead of frightened
Those reinventing them into horror movies are horrible.
Literally no one liked Winnie The Pooh Blood & Honey. It was universally considered to be one of the worst horror movies.
If you don't like horror movies based on beloved children's characters who fall into the public domain, don't watch them, don't buy them, and don't help to promote them.
Have at it folks