Aside from celebrating the New Year, Jan. 1 marks a unique celebration known as Public Domain Day. On this special day, several titles lose their copyright status and enter the public domain, giving anyone free rein to use the characters as they please.

Last year, iconic characters such as the investigative reporter Tintin and the spinach-loving Popeye the Sailor Man joined the club. This year, the Fleischer Studios rubber hose star Betty Boop, teenage sleuth Nancy Drew, nine Mickey Mouse shorts (including one with an early version of Pluto referred to as Rover), and long-time comic series “Blondie” are among the few included in the list of now-free works.

Though the characters are now free for the public to use in any way they see fit, only the original iterations can be used freely. For instance, to use Betty Boop’s image, you must portray her as she appears in the 1930s short Dizzy Dishes. This means no iconic red dress, and her appearance would be that of an anthropomorphic dog rather than the diva we recognize today. Fleischer Studios also owns the trademark rights to the words “Betty Boop” and “Boop,” meaning you can’t sell any merchandise with these words without permission. Rules regarding copyright also vary per country. In the Philippines, copyright protection for certain works can last throughout the lifetime of the author and will still remain protected until 50 years after their passing.

Other notable works set to join the public domain are the Academy Award-winning Western “Cimarron,” the Marx Brothers’ second feature film “Animal Crackers,” and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Murder!” Music lovers will be delighted to hear the original “Georgia on My Mind,” popularized by Ray Charles; the first English recording of “Just a Gigolo,” which you’ve likely heard sung by either David Lee Roth or Louis Prima; Al Sherman and Al Lewis’ “Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight,” a tune known to “SpongeBob Squarepants” fans for its rendition by Tiny Tim in its first episode; and four tracks by George Gershwin are now in the public domain. Finally, for art, abstract icon Piet Mondrian’s “Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow,” muralist José Clemente Orozco’s “Prometheus,” and Swiss artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp’s “Composition of Circles and Overlapping Angles” are some of the works included in the list.

As we celebrate the start of 2026, may this also send a wave of inspiration for upcoming creators to put a new twist on these old tales.