1st Jan is Public Domain Day

To some people, the 1st of January is a day to walk and stroll in the light of a New Year. To others, it is a chance to stay in your PJs, hold your throbbing head in anguish and slowly work yourself up to ordering a takeaway curry while doing some serious 'box-setting'. For IP nerds it's a chance to do one of the foregoing (depending upon your proclivities) and also celebrate Public Domain Day!

Public Domain Day falls on 1 January each year and marks the date upon which a whole raft of previously copyright protected work falls into the hands of the general public. Of course, the duration of copyright protection for a work depends on the type of work (and the country you're in, the below relates to UK copyright protection under CDPA 1988, US works have a different system and there will be quirks for older works under older copyright legislation)...

Meaning that, on 1 Jan 2020, the poetry of Maurice Maeterlinck (including Lassitude) and the literary work of Margaret Mitchell (including Gone with the Wind) will be in the public domain... so feel free to use without relying on a licence or fair use. But, be careful not to take a typographical arrangement of Gone with the Wind published in the last 25 years!

Happy New Year and enjoy Public Domain Day tomorrow along with your walk/hangover.

Boring disclaimer - I've written/created the above in my personal capacity (as a legal nerd) for information purposes only and it is not intended to be legal advice. I make no warranty of any kind and will not be responsible for any actions (or inactions) if anyone is foolish enough to rely on my writing.