Entering the US public domain on January 1, 2027

Works published in 1931 complete their 95-year US copyright term at the end of 2026. On January 1, 2027 they become free for everyone — and this page becomes a set of full evidence dossiers that day.

The headliners of 1931

Dracula (Tod Browning; Bela Lugosi's vampire — though Universal's trademark posture around the character will matter, as with Mickey in 2024). Frankenstein (James Whale; Karloff's monster — note the iconic flat-head makeup design raises its own questions). City Lights (Chaplin). M (Fritz Lang's serial-killer masterpiece — German, but expiry beats restoration, as our Metropolis dossier explains). The Public Enemy (Cagney). Little Caesar. Cimarron (Best Picture winner). Plus every other film, book, song composition, and artwork first published in 1931.

What "entering the public domain" actually means

The 1931 film prints become free to copy, share, adapt, and monetize in the US. As always, layers matter: later remakes and restorations stay protected, franchise trademarks (Universal's monsters!) survive expiry, and modern score recordings on the copies you download carry their own rights. Our dossiers will map each layer with evidence, the day it happens.

For journalists and researchers

We are preparing a verified, machine-readable dataset of the 1931 film class — status, evidence, and where each film can be watched — available ahead of Public Domain Day for anyone covering it. Contact us via the address on the About page.