A major copyright shift just made Betty Boop’s earliest version free to use — but merch sellers should read the fine print.

Four songs by George and Ira Gershwin, Betty Boop, Nancy Drew, and many more are among the intellectual properties that have ...

As a result, Fleischer Studios likely can't say it still owns Betty Boop completely, but it can plausibly claim the version with dog ears is the only one now in the public domain, and each subsequent ...

Every year, copyright expires on intellectual property, releasing more into the public domain where anyone can use it. As time marches on, more and more recognizable figures from the 20th century will ...

Early versions of the cartoon characters Betty Boop and Pluto have officially entered the public domain, allowing creators to ...

When the calendar hits January 1, 2026, works first published in 1930 officially enter the U.S. public domain. An increasingly exciting tradition as the years move by, Public Domain Day brings a mix ...

It’s a new year, and you know what that means: a whole new collection of characters and stories are entering the public ...

Nine Mickey Mouse cartoons, the Marx Brothers' film "Animal Crackers," and books by William Faulkner and Agatha Christie are now in the public domain.

You may have heard familiar names like Betty Boop and Nancy Drew have entered what's called the public domain. The story of ...

The original version of Betty Boop — as seen in this "Dizzy Dishes" cartoon — is one of many works from 1930 entering the public domain in 2026. (Screenshot by NPR) A new year means a new parade of ...