Public Domain Day 2026 list: Betty Boop, Disney cartoons, more

Fans of the 1930s Betty Boop character can rejoice as the precursor to the iconic cartoon is now in the public domain as of January 1, 2026.

This means that anyone can adapt this specific version of Betty Boop, who appeared in the Dizzying dishes cartoon, in their own creative work without being subject to copyright laws.

This version of Betty Boop featured her signature big eyes and pout, but also had elongated dog ears. His romantic interest at the time was a dog boss, hence his surreal canine appearance.

In 2026, Betty Boop is joined in the public domain by other popular characters, books, films, and songs, including new Mickey Mouse cartoons and comic strips; THE Blondie the comic strip characters Blondie and Dagwood; William Faulkner’s novel As I was dyingthe illustrated version of Watty Piper’s children’s book The little engine that could; the movie All is calm on the Western Front; and the standards “Dream a Little Dream of Me” and “Georgia on My Mind”, previously recorded by famous groups like The Mamas & the Papas and Ray Charles, respectively.

These and other creative works now in the public domain may be used without permission or payment. However, people should pay close attention to which version of the work can be used.

Fleischer Studios, which appears to own the copyright to the fully developed Betty Boop character, has emphasized that the expiration of these copyrights does not apply to other Betty Boop copyrights and trademarks still in effect.

While nine early Mickey Mouse cartoons are now in the public domain, the character of Mickey Mouse is still subject to enduring rights. (For more on these legal complexities, see Mashable’s story on Popeye coming into the public domain in 2025.)

Here are some of the notable and beloved works that will enter the public domain in 2026, according to the Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke University:

Comics, characters and cartoons

Movies

Literature

Musical compositions

• “Georgia on My Mind”, written by Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Carmichael

• “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, written by Fabian Andre, Wilbur Schwandt and Gus Kahn

• “On the Sunny Side of the Street”, by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh

• “I Got Rhythm”, “I’ve Got a Crush on You”, “But Not for Me” and “Embraceable You”, written by Ira Gershwin and George Gershwin