Public Domain Day celebrates creative works that enter the public domain in the new year. This year, creative works from 1929 and sound recordings from 1924 have entered the public domain. These works are free to use in any capacity without paying royalties or requesting permission.
Note that because copyright laws are different in every country, not all works enter the public domain at the same time around the world.
The public domain refers to works that are free from copyright protection. Anyone may use these works without asking for permission or paying royalties.
In Canada, works enter the public domain 70 years after the creator's death (on January 1st of the following year). This is called the "life +70" rule.
Works can be in the public domain for many reasons:
In some cases, a work may enter the public domain but a specific edition or image of the work may still be under copyright.