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2026 Public Domain Introductions

janvier 09, 2026 | 2 lire la lecture

A new year means a whole new crop of work is entering the public domain. And that means endless opportunities for retellings, spoofs, adaptations, and fan fiction.

When Does a Work Enter the Public Domain?

In the U.S., a creative work enters the public domain based on a set of rules dictated by when it was originally created, who created it, and when it was published. That's a fancy way of saying "it's complicated."

For creative works (books, films, music scores) created on or after January 1, 1978, the general rule is that copyright lasts for the life of the author plus seventy years. Most works published in the U.S. before 1978 enter the public domain 95 years after their first authorized publication date, effectively on January 1st of the 96th year. (Of course, it's way more complicated than that, but that's a good overview of the general rule.)

Under current law, each January 1, another year’s worth of works enters the public domain. On January 1, 2026, works published in 1930 became free of copyright.

Additions to the Public Domain in 2026

Here are some of the works that the Freewrite team is most excited to see enter the public domain:

Books

  1. William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying
  2. Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon (the full book version)
  3. Agatha Christie, The Murder at the Vicarage (the first novel featuring Miss Marple)
  4. Carolyn Keene (pseudonym for Mildred Benson), the first four Nancy Drew books, beginning with The Secret of the Old Clock
  5. Watty Piper (pen name of Arnold Munk), The Little Engine That Could (the popular illustrated version, with drawings by Lois Lenski)
  6. T.S. Eliot, Ash Wednesday
  7. Edna Ferber, Cimarron
  8. Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents (in the original German, Das Unbehagen in der Kultur)
  9. W. Somerset Maugham, Cakes and Ale
  10. Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness

Characters & Comics

  1. Betty Boop from Fleischer Studios' Dizzy Dishes and other cartoons
  2. Rover (later renamed Pluto) from Disney's The Chain Gang (as an unnamed bloodhound) and The Picnic (as Rover)
  3. Blondie and Dagwood from the Blondie comic strips by Chic Young
  4. Nine new Mickey Mouse cartoons, the initial week of Mickey Mouse comic strips, and ten new Silly Symphonies cartoons from Disney

Movies

  1. All Quiet on the Western Front, directed by Lewis Milestone (winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture)
  2. King f Jazz, directed by John Murray Anderson (musical revue featuring Paul Whiteman and Bing Crosby’s first feature-film appearance)
  3. Cimarron, directed by Wesley Ruggles (winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, registered for copyright in 1930)
  4. The Blue Angel (Der blaue Engel), directed by Josef von Sternberg (starring Marlene Dietrich)
  5. Hell's Angels, directed by Howard Hughes (Jean Harlow’s film debut)
  6. The Big Trail, directed by Raoul Walsh (John Wayne’s first leading role)
  7. Murder!, directed by Alfred Hitchcock
  8. L'Âge d'Or, directed by Luis Buñuel, written by Buñuel and Salvador Dalí
  9. Free and Easy, directed by Edward Sedgwick (Buster Keaton’s first speaking role)

 

mars 04, 2026 1 lire la lecture

Teachers inspire the next generation of writers — and we want to support that work.

Educators: Enter for a chance to win a classroom set of distraction-free drafting tools designed to help students focus on writing instead of screens.

One selected educator will receive a classroom set of 5 Freewrite Alpha devices to pilot with their students.

LEARN ALL ABOUT USING FREEWRITE IN THE CLASSROOM HERE.

ENTER HERE:

 

Make sure to submit your entry by the end of the day on Tuesday, March 31.

Eligibility

This giveaway is open to U.S. teachers and educators age 18+ currently employed at an accredited K–12 school, college, or educational institution. Read the full terms and conditions here.

Limit one entry per person.

mars 04, 2026 3 lire la lecture

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING.

1) Sponsor

The Educator Innovation Challenge Giveaway (“Promotion”) is sponsored by Astrohaus (“Sponsor”), the maker of Freewrite writing devices.

2) Eligibility

The Promotion is open only to legal residents of the United States who:

  • Are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry, and
  • Are currently employed as teachers, educators, or administrators at an accredited K–12 school, college, or educational institution in the United States.

Employees, officers, and directors of Sponsor, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and immediate family members or those living in the same household are not eligible to participate. Void where prohibited by law.

3.) Promotion Period

The Promotion begins on Wednesday, March 4 at 12:00 AM Eastern Time (ET) and ends on Tuesday, March 13 at 11:59 PM ET (“Promotion Period”). Entries submitted before or after the Promotion Period will not be eligible.

4.) How to Enter

Eligible participants may enter the Promotion by completing the official entry form located at https://getfreewrite.com/blogs/writing-success/educator-innovation-challenge-giveaway during the Promotion Period. Participants may be asked to provide information including:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • School or institution name
  • Grade level or subject taught
  • Classroom use description for the devices

Limit one (1) entry per person during the Promotion Period. Additional entries may be disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right to verify eligibility.

5.) Prize

One (1) winner will receive: Five (5) Freewrite Alpha devices.

The prize will be awarded to the winning teacher for classroom use. Sponsor may request confirmation of educational affiliation prior to awarding the prize.

Prize is non-transferable, and no substitution or cash equivalent will be provided except at Sponsor’s discretion.

6.) Winner Selection and Notification

The winner will be selected by random drawing from all eligible entries received during the Promotion Period.

The potential winner will be notified via the email address provided during entry within approximately 5 business days of the drawing.

If the selected winner:

  • cannot be contacted,
  • fails to respond within 7 days,
  • or is found to be ineligible,

Sponsor may select an alternate winner.

7. Prize Delivery

The prize will be shipped to the winner’s provided address within the United States. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, delayed, or damaged shipments once delivered to the carrier.

8. Taxes

The winner is solely responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes associated with receipt or use of the prize, if applicable.

Sponsor may issue an IRS Form 1099 if required by law.

9. Publicity

By accepting the prize, the winner agrees that Sponsor may use their name, school name, likeness, and statements regarding the Promotion for promotional and marketing purposes in any media without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law.

10. General Conditions

Sponsor reserves the right to:

  • Cancel, suspend, or modify the Promotion if fraud, technical failures, or other factors impair the integrity of the Promotion.
  • Disqualify any entrant who violates these Terms & Conditions or tampers with the entry process.

11. Limitation of Liability

By participating in the Promotion, entrants agree to release and hold harmless Astrohaus, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any liability, injury, loss, or damage arising from participation in the Promotion or acceptance, possession, or use of any prize.

12. Privacy

Information submitted by participants will be subject to Sponsor’s privacy policy available at https://getfreewrite.com/pages/privacy-policy.

13. Governing Law

The Promotion and these Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles.

janvier 28, 2026 1 lire la lecture

Write every day with the Freewrite team in February.