2009 in public domain

none When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of works that entered the public domain in 2009. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform. Entered the public domain in countries with life + 70 years With the exception of Belarus (Life + 50 years) and Spain (Life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987), a work enters the public domain in Europe 70 years after the creator's death, if it was published during the creator's lifetime.http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/publishing/eu-extends-copyright-term-to-70-years-1005348552.story EU Extends Copyright Term To 70 Years | Billboard Billboard.biz 2011-09-12 2014-01-07 2013-01-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20130106035644/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/publishing/eu-extends-copyright-term-to-70-years-1005348552.story dead Directive 2006/116/EC The list is sorted alphabetically and includes a notable work of the creator that entered the public domain on January 1, 2009. Names Country Birth Death Occupation Notable work Lascelles Abercrombie United Kingdom 1881 01 09 dmy 1938 10 27 dmy literary critic, poet. An Essay Towards a Theory of Art, Poetry, Its Music and Meaning Karel Čapek Czech Republic 1890 01 09 dmy 1938 12 25 dmy science fiction writer, playwright R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), War with the Newts Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay India 1876 09 15 dmy 1938 01 16 dmy short story writer, novelist. Parineeta, Devdas Afonso Celso de Assis Figueiredo Júnior Brazil 1860 03 31 dmy 1938 07 11 dmy educator, poet and historian WorksÉmile CohlFrance 1857 01 04 dmy1938 01 20 dmyCaricaturist, cartoonist and animator Gabriele D'Annunzio Italy 1863 03 12 dmy 1938 03 01 dmy novelist, playwright, poet. Il Piacere (Pleasure), The Intruder, Il trionfo della morte (Triumph of Death) Ovid Densusianu Romania 1873 12 29 dmy 1938 06 09 dmy folklorist, linguist, literary historian, philologist, poet. Istoria literaturii române, Histoire de la langue roumaine Paola Drigo Italy 1876 01 04 dmy 1938 01 04 dmy short story writer, novelist. Fine d'anno, Maria Zef James Forbes Canada 1871 09 02 dmy 1938 05 26 dmy playwright, screenwriter. The Chorus Lady, The Famous Mrs. Fair Robert Herrick United States 1868 04 21 dmy 1938 12 23 dmy novelist. Web of Life James Weldon Johnson United States 1876 06 17 dmy 1938 06 26 dmy anthologist, novelist, poet. "Lift Every Voice and Sing", The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man Willem Kloos Netherlands 1859 05 06 dmy 1938 03 31 dmy literary critic, poet. editor of De Nieuwe Gids (The New Guide) E. V. Lucas United Kingdom 1868 06 11 dmy 1938 06 26 dmy biographer, essayist, humorist, novelist, playwright, poet, short story writer. What a Life! Osip Mandelstam Russia 1891 01 14 dmy 1938 12 27 dmy poet. Puteshestviye v Armeniyu (Journey to Armenia), Razgovor o Dante (Conversation about Dante)Georges MélièsFrance 1861 12 08 dmy1938 01 21 dmyFilm directorA Trip to the Moon, The Impossible Voyage, The Merry Frolics of Satan and The Conquest of the Pole Migjeni Albania 1911 10 13 dmy 1938 08 26 dmy poet. Trajtat e Mbinjeriut (The shape of the Superman), Kanga skandaloze (Scandalous song) Lady Ottoline Morrell United Kingdom 1873 06 16 dmy 1938 04 21 dmy memoirist, patron of the arts. two volumes of memoirs Momčilo Nastasijević Serbia 1894 09 23 dmy 1938 02 13 dmy dramatist, novelist, poet. The Unevoked, Master Mladen's Daughter Henry Newbolt United Kingdom 1862 06 06 dmy 1938 04 19 dmy historian, novelist, poet. Vitaï Lampada (the torch of life), Drake's Drum Branislav Nušić Serbia 1864 10 20 dmy 1938 01 19 dmy playwright, essayist, novelist. A Member of the Parliament, A Suspicious PersonGustave Le RougeFrance 1867 07 22 dmy1938 02 24 dmyAuthorThe Vampires of Mars Olivia Shakespear United Kingdom 1863 03 17 dmy 1938 10 03 dmy novelist, playwright, patron of the arts. Love on a Mortal Lease, Uncle Hilary Konstantin Stanislavski Russia 1863 01 17 dmy 1938 08 07 dmy acting theorist. My Life in ArtWage Rudolf SoepratmanIndonesia1903 03 09 dmy1938 08 17 dmy composer, journalist, teacher Di Timur Matahari, Indonesia Raya, Ibu Kita KartiniE. G. SwainUnited Kingdom 1861 02 19 dmy1938 01 29 dmyAuthorThe Stoneground Ghost Tales Armando Palacio Valdés Spain 1853 10 04 dmy 1938 01 29 dmy novelist. The Joy of Captain Ribot Owen Wister United States 1860 07 14 dmy 1938 07 21 dmy biographer, historian, Western fiction writer The Virginian, Ulysses S. Grant, Roosevelt: The Story of a Friendship Thomas Wolfe United States 1900 10 03 dmy 1938 09 15 dmy short story writer, novelist Look Homeward, Angel, You Can't Go Home Again Entered the public domain in countries with life + 50 years In most countries of Africa and Asia, as well as Belarus, Bolivia, Canada, New Zealand, Egypt and Uruguay; a work enters the public domain 50 years after the creator's death. NamesCountryBirthDeathOccupationNotable work Eleanor Hallowell Abbott United States 1872 09 22 dmy 1958 06 04 dmy novelist, poet, short story writer. Molly Make-Believe, But Once A Year: Christmas Stories James Branch Cabell United States 1879 04 14 dmy 1958 05 05 dmy fantasy writer. Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice, Biography of the Life of ManuelE. Everett EvansUnited States 1893 11 30 dmy 1958 12 02 dmyScience fiction author Margiad Evans United Kingdom 1909 03 17 dmy 1958 03 17 dmy illustrator, novelist, poet. Country Dance, Autobiography, A Ray of Darkness, The Nightingale Silenced Dorothy Canfield Fisher United States 1879 02 17 dmy 1958 11 09 dmy literary critic, memoirist, novelist, short story writer, translator. Understood Betsy Marjorie Flack United States 1897 10 22 dmy 1958 08 29 dmy children's writer, illustrator. writer of The Story About Ping, illustrator of The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes Angelina Weld Grimké United States 1880 02 27 dmy 1958 06 10 dmy playwright, poet. Rachel Michael Joseph United Kingdom 1897 09 26 dmy 1958 03 15 dmy Writer, publisher. How to Write Serial Fiction, Puss in Books: A collection of stories about cats, The Sword in the Scabbard Cyril M. Kornbluth United States 1923 07 02 dmy 1958 03 21 dmy science fiction writer The Little Black Bag, The Marching Morons Henry Kuttner United States 1915 04 07 dmy 1958 02 03 dmy Writer of fantasy, horror fiction, and science fiction. The Graveyard Rats, Mimsy Were the Borogoves Rose Macaulay United Kingdom 1881 08 01 dmy 1958 10 30 dmy biographer, novelist, travel writer. The World My Wilderness, The Towers of TrebizondJohnston McCulleyUnited States1883 02 02 dmy1958 11 23 dmyAuthorZorro G. E. Moore United Kingdom 1873 11 04 dmy 1958 10 24 dmy journal editor, philosopher. Principia Ethica, A Defence of Common Sense Charles Langbridge Morgan United Kingdom 1894 01 22 dmy 1958 02 06 dmy novelist, playwright. The Burning Glass Alfred Noyes United Kingdom 1880 09 16 dmy 1958 06 25 dmy playwright, poet, short story writer. The Highwayman, Shakespeare's Kingdom Seumas O'Sullivan Ireland 1879 07 17 dmy 1958 03 24 dmy magazine editor, poet. Twilight People, Verses Sacred and Profane Elliot Paul United States 1891 02 10 dmy 1958 04 07 dmy journalist, novelist, screenwriter. Life and Death of a Spanish Town, Linden on the Saugus Branch H. G. Peter United States 1880 03 08 dmy 1958 01 02 dmy Cartoonist Wonder Woman Nicolae Petrescu-Comnen Romania 1881 08 24 dmy 1958 12 08 dmy social scientist. Accidente profesionale (Work-related Accidents), Câteva considerațiuni asupra socialismului și asupra roadelor sale (Some Musings on Socialism and Its Results Peig Sayers Ireland 1873 dmy 1958 12 08 dmy seanchaí (traditional Gaelic storyteller and historian) . Peig, Machnamh Seanmhná (An Old Woman's Reflections) Robert W. Service Canada 1874 01 16 dmy 1958 09 11 dmy poet. The Shooting of Dan McGrew, The Cremation of Sam McGee J. C. Squire United Kingdom 1884 04 02 dmy 1958 12 20 dmy historian, literary critic, magazine editor, poet. Robin Hood: a farcical romantic pastoral , Shakespeare as a Dramatist Ethel Turner Australia 1870 01 24 dmy 1958 04 08 dmy children's writer, novelist. Seven Little Australians Geoffrey Willans United Kingdom 1911 02 04 dmy 1958 08 06 dmy children's writer, humorist, novelist, screenwriter. Down with Skool! A Guide to School Life for Tiny Pupils and their Parents, Whizz for Atomms: A Guide to Survival in the 20th Century for Fellow Pupils, their Doting Maters, Pompous Paters and Any Others who are Interested Harry Cohn United States 1891 07 23 dmy 1958 02 27 dmy Filmmaker Entering the public domain in the United States Public domain in the United States In the United States, the copyright status of works extends for the life of the author or artists, plus 70 years.https://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2012/pre-1976 What Could Have Entered the Public Domain | Duke University School of LawS.505 - One Hundred Fifth Congress of the United States of America at the Second Session. An act to amend the provisions of title 17, United States Code, with respect to the duration of copyright, and for other purposes https://www.copyright.gov/legislation/s505.pdf U.S. Copyright Office If the work is owned by a corporation, then the copyright extends 95 years.https://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm https://web.archive.org/web/20090626030245/http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm dead June 26, 2009 Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States | Copyright Information Center Due to the passing of the Copyright Term Extension Act (Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act) in 1998, works never registered or published before January 1, 1978, and whose authors died before 1939 entered the public domain in this jurisdiction on January 1, 2009.https://www.copyright.gov/pr/pdomain.html Certain Unpublished, Unregistered Works Enter Public Domain United States Copyright Office 2003-01-13 2026-04-21 Other works would not enter the public domain here until 2019.http://www.pdinfo.com/Copyright-Law/Copyright-Law.php United States Copyright Law 2012-06-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20140801121535/http://www.pdinfo.com/Copyright-Law/Copyright-Law.php 2014-08-01 dead Worldwide In March 2009, the CC0-license or Creative Commons 0-license is introduced. It is a universal waiver of copyright that can be used when copyright owners want to permanently surrender rights they may have in a work, thereby placing the work into the public domain.Bjørner Susanne Creative Commons Releases Public Domain Mark https://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/Creative-Commons-Releases-Public-Domain-Mark-70704.asp infotoday.com 27 September 2025 The Creative Commons published the study Defining "Noncommercial": A Study of How the Online Population Understands "Noncommercial Use." directly into the public domain through a CC0-license.Mike Creative Commons Publishes Study of "Noncommercial Use" https://creativecommons.org/2009/09/14/creative-commons-publishes-study-of-noncommercial-use/ creativecommons.org 27 September 2025 See also 1908 in literature and 1958 in literature for deaths of writers Public Domain Day Creative Commons References External links Public Domain Day 2009: Freeing the libraries HAPPY PUBLIC DOMAIN DAY - JANUARY 1, 2009 - NEW ADDITIONS TO UNPUBLISHED PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE U.S. January 2019 Category:Public domain by year Public domain