{
  "meta": {
    "name": "PublicDomainian — The Register of the Republic of Free Works",
    "description": "A curated, growing archive of works in the public domain — already free, newly naturalized, and awaiting naturalization — each paired with a concrete profit angle.",
    "license": "CC0-1.0",
    "updated": "2026-07-21",
    "note": "US-centric copyright status. Public domain status varies by country. Trademarks and later works/characters may still be protected even when a specific work is free. Verify before commercial use.",
    "categories": {
      "book": "Books & literature",
      "film": "Films",
      "cartoon": "Cartoons & comics",
      "music-composition": "Musical compositions",
      "sound-recording": "Sound recordings",
      "art": "Art",
      "character": "Characters",
      "other": "Other works"
    }
  },
  "playbooks": [
    {
      "id": "print-on-demand",
      "name": "Print-on-Demand Editions",
      "tagline": "Sell the book you didn't write.",
      "how": "Format a public-domain text into a clean paperback/hardcover or a special illustrated edition and list it on Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or Lulu. Zero inventory, printed per order.",
      "effort": "Low",
      "cost": "Free",
      "bestFor": [
        "book"
      ],
      "edge": "Win on cover design, typesetting, annotations, or a themed collection — the text is a commodity, the edition is the product.",
      "example": "Beautifully typeset hardcovers of Frankenstein and Dracula sell steadily against dozens of free versions purely on design."
    },
    {
      "id": "audiobook",
      "name": "Narrated Audiobooks",
      "tagline": "Your voice, their words, real royalties.",
      "how": "Record and sell an audiobook of a PD text on ACX/Audible, Findaway Voices, or Spotify. AI narration makes solo production viable.",
      "effort": "Medium",
      "cost": "Free–Low",
      "bestFor": [
        "book"
      ],
      "edge": "The recording is a new, copyrightable work you own outright. LibriVox is free but flat-quality; a produced, cast, or scored version is a paid product.",
      "example": "Sherlock Holmes and classic-horror audiobooks are perennial sellers despite free LibriVox versions existing."
    },
    {
      "id": "adaptation",
      "name": "Film, TV & Stage Adaptations",
      "tagline": "The story is free; the take is yours.",
      "how": "Adapt a public-domain novel, play, or short into a new screenplay, series, short film, or stage production. Your script and production are new protected works.",
      "effort": "High",
      "cost": "Varies",
      "bestFor": [
        "book",
        "film",
        "character"
      ],
      "edge": "Public-domain source = no rights fees and instant name recognition. This is why studios keep remaking Dracula, Little Women, and Sherlock Holmes.",
      "example": "Countless profitable retellings of A Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice, and Peter Pan exist because the source costs nothing."
    },
    {
      "id": "merch-pod",
      "name": "Merch & Art Prints",
      "tagline": "Put the image on everything.",
      "how": "Use PD artwork, characters, and imagery on posters, apparel, mugs, stickers, and stationery via Printful, Redbubble, Etsy, or your own store.",
      "effort": "Low",
      "cost": "Free",
      "bestFor": [
        "art",
        "character",
        "cartoon"
      ],
      "edge": "Iconic visuals carry cultural weight buyers already recognize. Beware surviving trademarks on characters.",
      "example": "Public-domain botanical, ukiyo-e, and Art Deco prints are a staple of the Etsy wall-art economy."
    },
    {
      "id": "sync-recording",
      "name": "New Recordings & Sync Licensing",
      "tagline": "Own a fresh cut of a classic song.",
      "how": "Record your own performance of a public-domain composition. You can't own the song, but you own your recording — license it for film, ads, games, and streaming.",
      "effort": "Medium",
      "cost": "Free–Low",
      "bestFor": [
        "music-composition"
      ],
      "edge": "PD compositions mean no publishing clearance — your master is yours to sync and monetize.",
      "example": "Production-music libraries thrive on fresh recordings of PD standards licensed to media."
    },
    {
      "id": "app-game",
      "name": "Apps, Games & Interactive",
      "tagline": "Ship a product with a public-domain soul.",
      "how": "Build a game, app, or interactive experience around PD characters, stories, or art — visual novels, adventures, reading apps, coloring apps.",
      "effort": "High",
      "cost": "Free–Low",
      "bestFor": [
        "character",
        "book",
        "cartoon",
        "art"
      ],
      "edge": "Familiar IP with no licensing wall lowers marketing cost. Horror games love newly-freed monsters.",
      "example": "Alice-in-Wonderland and Sherlock Holmes games recur because the world is free to build in."
    },
    {
      "id": "annotated-edition",
      "name": "Annotated & Enhanced Editions",
      "tagline": "Add value the original couldn't.",
      "how": "Publish an edition with expert commentary, historical context, translations, study guides, modern-English rewrites, or original illustrations.",
      "effort": "Medium",
      "cost": "Free",
      "bestFor": [
        "book"
      ],
      "edge": "The annotations and apparatus are your copyrightable contribution and the reason someone pays over a free file.",
      "example": "Annotated classics and 'plain English' Shakespeare editions outsell the free source texts to students."
    },
    {
      "id": "curated-bundle",
      "name": "Curation, Restoration & Datasets",
      "tagline": "The collection is the value.",
      "how": "Bundle, clean, restore, tag, and package PD works into premium collections, stock-media packs, AI-training corpora, remasters, or themed anthologies.",
      "effort": "Medium",
      "cost": "Free",
      "bestFor": [
        "book",
        "art",
        "music-composition",
        "sound-recording",
        "film"
      ],
      "edge": "Nobody pays for one free file; they pay for a curated, restored, well-organized set that saves them time.",
      "example": "Cleaned PD image/font packs sell on creative marketplaces; restored PD films earn on ad-supported streaming."
    }
  ],
  "works": [
    {
      "id": "as-i-lay-dying",
      "title": "As I Lay Dying",
      "creator": "William Faulkner",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Modernist novel told in 15 stream-of-consciousness voices; a cornerstone of American literature.",
      "venture": "Produce a full-cast audiobook — the 15 narrators are built for it — or a bold stage adaptation.",
      "playbooks": [
        "audiobook",
        "adaptation",
        "annotated-edition"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-maltese-falcon",
      "title": "The Maltese Falcon",
      "creator": "Dashiell Hammett",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The novel that defined hard-boiled detective fiction and introduced Sam Spade.",
      "venture": "Adapt into a neo-noir series or graphic novel; Sam Spade from this novel is now free to build on.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "app-game",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-murder-at-the-vicarage",
      "title": "The Murder at the Vicarage",
      "creator": "Agatha Christie",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The first full-length Miss Marple novel.",
      "venture": "Cozy-mystery adaptations and audiobooks; bundle with other early Christie titles as they free up.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "audiobook",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-secret-of-the-old-clock",
      "title": "Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock",
      "creator": "Carolyn Keene (Mildred Wirt Benson)",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The first Nancy Drew mystery; the original 1930 text is now free (the name may carry trademark).",
      "venture": "Illustrated print editions and a young-reader reading app riding decades of nostalgia.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "app-game",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-little-engine-that-could",
      "title": "The Little Engine That Could",
      "creator": "Watty Piper (Arnold Munk)",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The beloved children's story of optimism and effort ('I think I can').",
      "venture": "New illustrated editions, board books, plush merch, and a read-along app — a durable kids' brand.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "merch-pod",
        "app-game"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "private-lives",
      "title": "Private Lives",
      "creator": "Noël Coward",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Coward's sparkling comedy of remarried exes — a staple of the modern stage.",
      "venture": "Stage it royalty-free, film a production for streaming, or record a radio-play audiobook.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "audiobook"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "ash-wednesday",
      "title": "Ash Wednesday",
      "creator": "T. S. Eliot",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Eliot's major post-conversion poem.",
      "venture": "Fine-press illustrated broadsides and an annotated study edition for the poetry market.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "annotated-edition"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "vile-bodies",
      "title": "Vile Bodies",
      "creator": "Evelyn Waugh",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Satire of the Bright Young Things of interwar London.",
      "venture": "Premium annotated edition for literature courses; a period-drama adaptation.",
      "playbooks": [
        "annotated-edition",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-42nd-parallel",
      "title": "The 42nd Parallel",
      "creator": "John Dos Passos",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "First volume of the experimental U.S.A. trilogy.",
      "venture": "Annotated modernist edition and a produced audiobook for the literary-classics catalog.",
      "playbooks": [
        "annotated-edition",
        "audiobook"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "cimarron-novel",
      "title": "Cimarron (novel)",
      "creator": "Edna Ferber",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Ferber's sweeping Oklahoma epic. Note: the 1931 RKO film adaptation is separate and enters in 2027.",
      "venture": "New audiobook and a fresh screen adaptation independent of the still-later film versions.",
      "playbooks": [
        "audiobook",
        "adaptation",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "strong-poison",
      "title": "Strong Poison",
      "creator": "Dorothy L. Sayers",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The Lord Peter Wimsey mystery that introduces Harriet Vane.",
      "venture": "Golden-age-mystery adaptations and audiobooks; bundle the Wimsey novels as they enter PD.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "audiobook",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "last-and-first-men",
      "title": "Last and First Men",
      "creator": "Olaf Stapledon",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Foundational far-future science fiction spanning two billion years.",
      "venture": "Sci-fi audiobook, graphic-novel adaptation, and a narrative game built in its future history.",
      "playbooks": [
        "audiobook",
        "adaptation",
        "app-game"
      ],
      "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_public_domain"
    },
    {
      "id": "civilization-and-its-discontents",
      "title": "Civilization and Its Discontents",
      "creator": "Sigmund Freud",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Freud's landmark essay on the individual versus society.",
      "venture": "Annotated academic edition and a narrated audiobook for the perennial psychology market.",
      "playbooks": [
        "annotated-edition",
        "audiobook"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "cakes-and-ale",
      "title": "Cakes and Ale",
      "creator": "W. Somerset Maugham",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Maugham's witty satire of the London literary world.",
      "venture": "Handsome print editions and a period adaptation.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-conquest-of-happiness",
      "title": "The Conquest of Happiness",
      "creator": "Bertrand Russell",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Russell's still-quoted popular philosophy of everyday happiness.",
      "venture": "Repackage as a modern self-help audiobook and annotated pocket edition — evergreen demand.",
      "playbooks": [
        "audiobook",
        "annotated-edition",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "swallows-and-amazons",
      "title": "Swallows and Amazons",
      "creator": "Arthur Ransome",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Classic children's adventure of sailing and imagination.",
      "venture": "Illustrated editions, an outdoorsy kids' merch line, and a screen adaptation.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "merch-pod",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_public_domain"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-cat-who-went-to-heaven",
      "title": "The Cat Who Went to Heaven",
      "creator": "Elizabeth Coatsworth",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Newbery Medal-winning children's fable.",
      "venture": "Newly illustrated picture-book editions and a gentle read-along app.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "app-game"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-bridge",
      "title": "The Bridge",
      "creator": "Hart Crane",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Crane's ambitious book-length modernist poem about America.",
      "venture": "Fine-press art edition and an annotated scholarly companion.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "annotated-edition"
      ],
      "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_public_domain"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-door",
      "title": "The Door",
      "creator": "Mary Roberts Rinehart",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "A mystery by the writer often called the American Agatha Christie.",
      "venture": "Vintage-mystery audiobook line and print reissues.",
      "playbooks": [
        "audiobook",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_public_domain"
    },
    {
      "id": "all-quiet-on-the-western-front-1930",
      "title": "All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)",
      "creator": "Lewis Milestone (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Best Picture winner; the landmark anti-war film.",
      "venture": "Restore and run on ad-supported streaming; license clips for documentaries.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-blue-angel",
      "title": "The Blue Angel (Der blaue Engel)",
      "creator": "Josef von Sternberg (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The film that made Marlene Dietrich a star.",
      "venture": "Restoration release, plus Dietrich-era stills as licensable stock and prints.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "morocco",
      "title": "Morocco",
      "creator": "Josef von Sternberg (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Dietrich and Gary Cooper; famous for its gender-bending cabaret scene.",
      "venture": "Restore and license; iconic frames make strong art prints.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "animal-crackers",
      "title": "Animal Crackers",
      "creator": "Victor Heerman (dir.), Marx Brothers",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The Marx Brothers' anarchic early comedy ('Hooray for Captain Spaulding').",
      "venture": "Restored release plus quotable clip and GIF licensing; comedy merch.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "anna-christie",
      "title": "Anna Christie",
      "creator": "Clarence Brown (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "'Garbo talks!' — Greta Garbo's first sound film.",
      "venture": "Restoration and a fresh score you own; license stills.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "hells-angels",
      "title": "Hell's Angels",
      "creator": "Howard Hughes (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Howard Hughes's WWI aerial-combat epic.",
      "venture": "License the dogfight footage as stock; restored streaming release.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-big-trail",
      "title": "The Big Trail",
      "creator": "Raoul Walsh (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "John Wayne's first leading role, shot in early widescreen.",
      "venture": "Restoration, plus Western landscape footage licensed as stock.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "murder-hitchcock",
      "title": "Murder!",
      "creator": "Alfred Hitchcock (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "An early Hitchcock talkie.",
      "venture": "Bundle into a 'young Hitchcock' restored collection for film-study buyers.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "annotated-edition"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "lage-dor",
      "title": "L'Âge d'Or",
      "creator": "Luis Buñuel (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Surrealist provocation co-written with Salvador Dalí.",
      "venture": "Art-house restoration and gallery-screening licensing.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "whoopee",
      "title": "Whoopee!",
      "creator": "Thornton Freeland (dir.), Eddie Cantor",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Early two-color Technicolor Goldwyn musical.",
      "venture": "Restore the rare early-color footage and license it as stock.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "journeys-end",
      "title": "Journey's End",
      "creator": "James Whale (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "James Whale's WWI trench drama, from the R.C. Sherriff play.",
      "venture": "Restoration plus a stage revival of the underlying play.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "king-of-jazz",
      "title": "King of Jazz",
      "creator": "John Murray Anderson (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Lavish early-Technicolor musical revue with Paul Whiteman.",
      "venture": "License the vivid early-color sequences; restored music-history release.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "dizzy-dishes",
      "title": "Dizzy Dishes (Betty Boop's debut)",
      "creator": "Max Fleischer / Fleischer Studios",
      "category": "cartoon",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "First appearance of a proto-Betty Boop. Caution: 'Betty Boop' is an active trademark; the 1930 short is free but the modern character brand is protected.",
      "venture": "Restore and remix the short itself; sell restorations and frame prints — but don't brand new goods 'Betty Boop'.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-chain-gang",
      "title": "The Chain Gang (Pluto's debut)",
      "creator": "Walt Disney / Burt Gillett (dir.)",
      "category": "cartoon",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The Mickey short introducing the bloodhound who became Pluto. Trademark and later designs remain Disney's.",
      "venture": "Film-history restoration content; tread carefully — Disney enforces the character name and modern design.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "fiddlesticks",
      "title": "Fiddlesticks (first Flip the Frog)",
      "creator": "Ub Iwerks",
      "category": "cartoon",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The first Flip the Frog cartoon and the first cartoon made in color with sound.",
      "venture": "Restore this animation landmark; Flip the Frog is a freely usable character for shorts, games, and merch.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "app-game",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "blondie-comic",
      "title": "Blondie (comic strip debut)",
      "creator": "Chic Young",
      "category": "cartoon",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Debut of the long-running comic strip. Caution: still syndicated and trademarked; only the 1930 strips are free.",
      "venture": "Reprint and annotate the 1930 originals for comics historians — clear trademark before any branded product.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "annotated-edition"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "i-got-rhythm",
      "title": "I Got Rhythm",
      "creator": "George & Ira Gershwin",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Jazz standard whose 'rhythm changes' underpin hundreds of songs.",
      "venture": "Cut a fresh recording for sync libraries; teach it in method books and songbooks you sell.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording",
        "curated-bundle"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "embraceable-you",
      "title": "Embraceable You",
      "creator": "George & Ira Gershwin",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Enduring Gershwin ballad.",
      "venture": "Record your own romantic master for wedding and film-sync catalogs.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "but-not-for-me",
      "title": "But Not for Me",
      "creator": "George & Ira Gershwin",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Wistful Gershwin standard, endlessly covered.",
      "venture": "Produce and license your recording; include in a Gershwin standards pack.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording",
        "curated-bundle"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "ive-got-a-crush-on-you",
      "title": "I've Got a Crush on You",
      "creator": "George & Ira Gershwin",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Popular Gershwin love song.",
      "venture": "New recording for sync; sheet-music and play-along editions.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "georgia-on-my-mind",
      "title": "Georgia on My Mind",
      "creator": "Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The 1930 composition (Ray Charles's 1960 recording is separate and still protected).",
      "venture": "Record your own master and license it for sync — no publishing clearance on the composition.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "body-and-soul",
      "title": "Body and Soul",
      "creator": "Johnny Green; Heyman/Sour/Eyton",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "One of the most-recorded jazz standards ever written.",
      "venture": "Fresh recordings for jazz sync libraries; a definitive lead-sheet/method edition.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording",
        "curated-bundle"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "on-the-sunny-side-of-the-street",
      "title": "On the Sunny Side of the Street",
      "creator": "Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Upbeat standard, a go-to for feel-good scenes.",
      "venture": "Record an upbeat master for ad and trailer sync.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "dream-a-little-dream-of-me",
      "title": "Dream a Little Dream of Me",
      "creator": "Andre, Schwandt & Kahn",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Enduring standard covered countless times; the composition is free, famous recordings are not.",
      "venture": "Produce your own recording; slot it into wedding and romance media packs.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "love-for-sale",
      "title": "Love for Sale",
      "creator": "Cole Porter",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Sophisticated, once-controversial Porter standard.",
      "venture": "Sultry new recordings for film and TV sync.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "get-happy",
      "title": "Get Happy",
      "creator": "Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Rousing revival-style standard.",
      "venture": "Big-band recording for sync; a fresh arrangement library.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording",
        "curated-bundle"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "ten-cents-a-dance",
      "title": "Ten Cents a Dance",
      "creator": "Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Torch song of a taxi dancer's life.",
      "venture": "Cabaret-style recording for period-drama sync.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "three-little-words",
      "title": "Three Little Words",
      "creator": "Bert Kalmar & Harry Ruby",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Bright, hummable standard.",
      "venture": "Cheerful recording for advertising sync.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "beyond-the-blue-horizon",
      "title": "Beyond the Blue Horizon",
      "creator": "Whiting, Harling & Robin",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Optimistic travel-themed standard.",
      "venture": "New master for travel and trailer sync.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "youre-driving-me-crazy",
      "title": "You're Driving Me Crazy",
      "creator": "Walter Donaldson",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Playful jazz-age standard.",
      "venture": "Uptempo recording for comedy sync.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "st-louis-blues-1925",
      "title": "St. Louis Blues (1925 recording)",
      "creator": "Bessie Smith feat. Louis Armstrong",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The classic Bessie Smith recording, with Louis Armstrong on cornet.",
      "venture": "Remaster and distribute to streaming for royalties; chop into a royalty-free blues sample pack.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "good-old-wagon-1925",
      "title": "You've Been a Good Old Wagon (1925)",
      "creator": "Bessie Smith",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Vintage Bessie Smith blues side.",
      "venture": "Remaster for streaming; license the audio into period film and games.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "sweet-georgia-brown-1925",
      "title": "Sweet Georgia Brown (1925 recording)",
      "creator": "Ben Bernie and His Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "An early recording of the jazz-age standard.",
      "venture": "License the actual audio royalty-free for sports/comedy media; sample-pack it.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "yes-sir-thats-my-baby-1925",
      "title": "Yes Sir, That's My Baby (1925)",
      "creator": "Gene Austin",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "A huge hit of the era.",
      "venture": "Restored streaming release and a vintage-vocals sample pack.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "ill-see-you-in-my-dreams-1925",
      "title": "I'll See You in My Dreams (1925)",
      "creator": "Isham Jones with Ray Miller's Orchestra",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "A best-selling recording of the beloved ballad.",
      "venture": "License into nostalgic film/ads; remaster for streaming.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "everybody-loves-my-baby-1925",
      "title": "Everybody Loves My Baby (1925)",
      "creator": "Clarence Williams' Blue Five",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Hot early jazz featuring stars of the day.",
      "venture": "Sample-pack the horn lines; remaster for streaming distribution.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "nobody-knows-the-trouble-1925",
      "title": "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen (1925)",
      "creator": "Marian Anderson",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The legendary contralto's early spiritual recording.",
      "venture": "Respectful remaster for streaming and documentary licensing.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "fascinating-rhythm-1925",
      "title": "Fascinating Rhythm (1925 recording)",
      "creator": "Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "A hit dance-band recording of the Gershwin tune.",
      "venture": "License the jazz-age audio for period media; remaster for streaming.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "manhattan-1925",
      "title": "Manhattan (1925 recording)",
      "creator": "Ben Selvin (The Knickerbockers)",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "An early recording of the Rodgers & Hart standard.",
      "venture": "Sync the audio into NYC-themed content; sample pack.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "cup-of-coffee-1925",
      "title": "A Cup of Coffee, a Sandwich and You (1925)",
      "creator": "Carleton Terrace Orchestra",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "A charming dance-band side of the period.",
      "venture": "License the audio into vintage cafe/ad content; remaster for streaming.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "composition-red-blue-yellow",
      "title": "Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow",
      "creator": "Piet Mondrian",
      "category": "art",
      "published": 1930,
      "enteredPD": 2026,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The archetypal De Stijl grid painting.",
      "venture": "Art prints, apparel, phone cases, and home decor — one of the most recognizable images in modern art.",
      "playbooks": [
        "merch-pod",
        "curated-bundle"
      ],
      "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_public_domain"
    },
    {
      "id": "frankenstein-1931-film",
      "title": "Frankenstein (1931 film)",
      "creator": "James Whale (dir.), Universal",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The definitive Karloff monster look (flat head, neck bolts) frees in 2027 — the makeup design is trademark-sensitive, but the film enters PD.",
      "venture": "Line up horror restorations, monster merch, and games for a January 2027 launch — one of the most valuable freed images ever.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "merch-pod",
        "app-game"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "dracula-1931-film",
      "title": "Dracula (1931 film)",
      "creator": "Tod Browning (dir.), Universal (Bela Lugosi)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Lugosi's iconic Dracula. Enters PD in 2027; likeness/trademark care still applies.",
      "venture": "Prep restorations, gothic merch, and vampire games to ship on Public Domain Day 2027.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "merch-pod",
        "app-game"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "city-lights",
      "title": "City Lights",
      "creator": "Charlie Chaplin (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Chaplin's silent romantic comedy, often called his masterpiece.",
      "venture": "Restoration release and a new score you own; license the Tramp's most famous scenes.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "m-1931",
      "title": "M",
      "creator": "Fritz Lang (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Lang's chilling proto-noir thriller.",
      "venture": "Art-house restoration and film-study bundles.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "annotated-edition"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-public-enemy",
      "title": "The Public Enemy",
      "creator": "William A. Wellman (dir.), James Cagney",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The gangster film that made James Cagney a star.",
      "venture": "Restored streaming release; license the classic gangster imagery.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-1931",
      "title": "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931 film)",
      "creator": "Rouben Mamoulian (dir.), Fredric March",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Oscar-winning early-horror transformation film.",
      "venture": "Horror restoration and a fresh adaptation of the (already-PD) Stevenson novella.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "little-caesar",
      "title": "Little Caesar",
      "creator": "Mervyn LeRoy (dir.), Edward G. Robinson",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The archetypal early gangster picture ('Mother of mercy, is this the end of Rico?').",
      "venture": "Restored release plus gangster-era merch and clip licensing.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_public_domain"
    },
    {
      "id": "cimarron-film-1931",
      "title": "Cimarron (1931 film)",
      "creator": "Wesley Ruggles (dir.), RKO",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Best Picture winner adapted from Ferber's 1930 novel (which is already free).",
      "venture": "Restore and stream; pair with your own new adaptation of the now-free source novel.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_public_domain"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-good-earth",
      "title": "The Good Earth",
      "creator": "Pearl S. Buck",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Pulitzer-winning novel of a Chinese farming family.",
      "venture": "Prestige audiobook and annotated edition; a fresh screen adaptation.",
      "playbooks": [
        "audiobook",
        "annotated-edition",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-waves",
      "title": "The Waves",
      "creator": "Virginia Woolf",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Woolf's most experimental novel.",
      "venture": "Fine-press and annotated editions; an immersive audio production.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "annotated-edition",
        "audiobook"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "shadows-on-the-rock",
      "title": "Shadows on the Rock",
      "creator": "Willa Cather",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Cather's historical novel of colonial Quebec.",
      "venture": "Handsome print editions and a narrated audiobook.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "audiobook"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "as-time-goes-by",
      "title": "As Time Goes By",
      "creator": "Herman Hupfeld",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Later immortalized by Casablanca; the composition frees in 2027.",
      "venture": "Record your own master now to license the moment it's free — huge sync recognition.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "mood-indigo",
      "title": "Mood Indigo",
      "creator": "Duke Ellington, Bigard & Mills",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Ellington's classic mood piece.",
      "venture": "Fresh recordings for premium jazz sync libraries.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording",
        "curated-bundle"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "minnie-the-moocher",
      "title": "Minnie the Moocher",
      "creator": "Cab Calloway & Irving Mills",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The call-and-response scat classic ('hi-de-hi-de-ho').",
      "venture": "Record a big-band master for sync; build a singalong app around the composition.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording",
        "app-game"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "all-of-me",
      "title": "All of Me",
      "creator": "Gerald Marks & Seymour Simons",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "One of the most-recorded standards of all time.",
      "venture": "New recordings for weddings and film sync.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "up-a-lazy-river",
      "title": "(Up a) Lazy River",
      "creator": "Hoagy Carmichael & Sidney Arodin",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1931,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Laid-back Carmichael standard.",
      "venture": "Mellow recordings for lifestyle and travel sync.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://legalclarity.org/public-domain-2027-films-books-and-music/"
    },
    {
      "id": "heebie-jeebies-1926",
      "title": "Heebie Jeebies (1926 recording)",
      "creator": "Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1926,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The recording that helped popularize scat singing (recording-year attribution).",
      "venture": "Remaster for streaming royalties; sample the horns into a jazz pack.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/trademark/1145802/works-from-1926-and-pre-1923-sound-recordings-enter-the-public-domain-in-the-us"
    },
    {
      "id": "muskrat-ramble-1926",
      "title": "Muskrat Ramble (1926 recording)",
      "creator": "Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1926,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "A cornerstone Hot Five side (recording-year attribution).",
      "venture": "Remaster and distribute; license the audio for period media.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/trademark/1145802/works-from-1926-and-pre-1923-sound-recordings-enter-the-public-domain-in-the-us"
    },
    {
      "id": "black-bottom-stomp-1926",
      "title": "Black Bottom Stomp (1926 recording)",
      "creator": "Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1926,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "A masterpiece of early ensemble jazz (recording-year attribution).",
      "venture": "Restored streaming release; sample-pack for producers.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/trademark/1145802/works-from-1926-and-pre-1923-sound-recordings-enter-the-public-domain-in-the-us"
    },
    {
      "id": "bye-bye-blackbird-1926",
      "title": "Bye Bye Blackbird (1926 recording)",
      "creator": "Gene Austin",
      "category": "sound-recording",
      "published": 1926,
      "enteredPD": 2027,
      "status": "upcoming",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "A hit recording of the enduring standard (recording-year attribution).",
      "venture": "Remaster for streaming; license into nostalgic content.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/trademark/1145802/works-from-1926-and-pre-1923-sound-recordings-enter-the-public-domain-in-the-us"
    },
    {
      "id": "shakespeare",
      "title": "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare",
      "creator": "William Shakespeare",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1600,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Long in the public domain worldwide (author d. 1616).",
      "venture": "Endless adaptation, annotated student editions, and stage/screen productions — a bottomless well.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "annotated-edition",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "pride-and-prejudice",
      "title": "Pride and Prejudice",
      "creator": "Jane Austen",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1813,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Long in the public domain worldwide.",
      "venture": "Retellings, premium illustrated editions, and annotated student versions that sell every year.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "print-on-demand",
        "annotated-edition"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "frankenstein-novel",
      "title": "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus",
      "creator": "Mary Shelley",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1818,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The original novel and creature are fully public domain.",
      "venture": "Horror games, films, and merch built on the creature; deluxe illustrated hardcovers.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "app-game",
        "print-on-demand",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "a-christmas-carol",
      "title": "A Christmas Carol",
      "creator": "Charles Dickens",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1843,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The most-adapted story of the holiday season.",
      "venture": "A new annual adaptation, audiobook, or stage show — the seasonal demand never stops.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "audiobook",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "moby-dick",
      "title": "Moby-Dick",
      "creator": "Herman Melville",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1851,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Public domain worldwide.",
      "venture": "Illustrated collector editions and a full-cast audiobook.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "audiobook"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "alice-in-wonderland",
      "title": "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland",
      "creator": "Lewis Carroll",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1865,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Text and the original Tenniel illustrations are public domain.",
      "venture": "Illustrated editions, coloring books, games, and instantly-recognizable merch.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "merch-pod",
        "app-game"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "huckleberry-finn",
      "title": "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn",
      "creator": "Mark Twain",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1884,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Public domain in the US.",
      "venture": "Annotated classroom editions and audiobooks.",
      "playbooks": [
        "annotated-edition",
        "audiobook",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "dorian-gray",
      "title": "The Picture of Dorian Gray",
      "creator": "Oscar Wilde",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1890,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Public domain worldwide.",
      "venture": "Gothic adaptations, illustrated editions, and horror-adjacent games.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "print-on-demand",
        "app-game"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "dracula-novel",
      "title": "Dracula",
      "creator": "Bram Stoker",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1897,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The novel is public domain (the 1931 Universal film design enters in 2027).",
      "venture": "Adaptations, horror games, gothic merch, and annotated editions — a perennial October moneymaker.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "app-game",
        "merch-pod",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "war-of-the-worlds",
      "title": "The War of the Worlds",
      "creator": "H. G. Wells",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1898,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Public domain worldwide.",
      "venture": "Sci-fi adaptations, audio dramas (Welles-style), and games.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "audiobook",
        "app-game"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "wizard-of-oz",
      "title": "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz",
      "creator": "L. Frank Baum & W. W. Denslow",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1900,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The novel and original illustrations are public domain (the 1939 MGM film is not).",
      "venture": "Adaptations, games, and merch from the book's designs — avoid the MGM ruby-slippers look.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "app-game",
        "merch-pod",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "call-of-the-wild",
      "title": "The Call of the Wild",
      "creator": "Jack London",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1903,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Public domain worldwide.",
      "venture": "Illustrated editions, audiobooks, and adaptations.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "audiobook",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "anne-of-green-gables",
      "title": "Anne of Green Gables",
      "creator": "L. M. Montgomery",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1908,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Public domain in the US.",
      "venture": "Illustrated editions, cozy merch, and a fresh adaptation.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "merch-pod",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "sherlock-holmes",
      "title": "Sherlock Holmes (complete canon)",
      "creator": "Arthur Conan Doyle",
      "category": "character",
      "published": 1887,
      "enteredPD": 2023,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "As of Jan 1, 2023 the final 1927 stories entered PD, so the entire canon and character are now free in the US.",
      "venture": "Write new Holmes stories, games, and shows with no estate to clear — a proven, hungry market.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "app-game",
        "print-on-demand",
        "audiobook"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2023/"
    },
    {
      "id": "winnie-the-pooh",
      "title": "Winnie-the-Pooh (1926 book)",
      "creator": "A. A. Milne & E. H. Shepard",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1926,
      "enteredPD": 2022,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The 1926 book is free (Tigger, 1928, is not yet). Disney's later designs remain protected.",
      "venture": "New stories, films (a horror version already profited), and merch using the original Shepard-era characters.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "app-game",
        "merch-pod",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2022/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-great-gatsby",
      "title": "The Great Gatsby",
      "creator": "F. Scott Fitzgerald",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2021,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Entered the US public domain Jan 1, 2021; sparked a wave of new editions and adaptations.",
      "venture": "Jazz-Age adaptations, graphic novels, and premium editions; the aesthetic sells merch on its own.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "print-on-demand",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2021/"
    },
    {
      "id": "mrs-dalloway",
      "title": "Mrs Dalloway",
      "creator": "Virginia Woolf",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1925,
      "enteredPD": 2021,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Entered the US public domain Jan 1, 2021.",
      "venture": "Annotated editions and adaptations for the literary market.",
      "playbooks": [
        "annotated-edition",
        "adaptation",
        "audiobook"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2021/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-sun-also-rises",
      "title": "The Sun Also Rises",
      "creator": "Ernest Hemingway",
      "category": "book",
      "published": 1926,
      "enteredPD": 2022,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Entered the US public domain Jan 1, 2022.",
      "venture": "Premium editions and a fresh screen adaptation.",
      "playbooks": [
        "print-on-demand",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2022/"
    },
    {
      "id": "peter-pan",
      "title": "Peter Pan",
      "creator": "J. M. Barrie",
      "category": "character",
      "published": 1911,
      "enteredPD": 2024,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The novel is long PD; the 1928 published play entered PD in 2024, freeing the full story in the US.",
      "venture": "New Peter Pan stories, games, and merch — a beloved, endlessly reworkable world.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "app-game",
        "merch-pod",
        "print-on-demand"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2024/"
    },
    {
      "id": "steamboat-willie",
      "title": "Steamboat Willie (earliest Mickey Mouse)",
      "creator": "Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks",
      "category": "cartoon",
      "published": 1928,
      "enteredPD": 2024,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Entered PD Jan 1, 2024. Only the 1928 black-and-white Mickey is free; modern Mickey and the trademark are protected.",
      "venture": "Use the 1928 Mickey in horror films, games, and remix art (as others already have) — never brand goods 'Mickey Mouse'.",
      "playbooks": [
        "adaptation",
        "app-game",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2024/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-jazz-singer",
      "title": "The Jazz Singer",
      "creator": "Alan Crosland (dir.), Warner Bros.",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1927,
      "enteredPD": 2023,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The first feature-length talkie; entered PD Jan 1, 2023.",
      "venture": "Restoration release and film-history bundles.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "annotated-edition"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2023/"
    },
    {
      "id": "metropolis-1927",
      "title": "Metropolis (1927 film)",
      "creator": "Fritz Lang (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1927,
      "enteredPD": 2023,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Landmark science-fiction film; entered PD Jan 1, 2023.",
      "venture": "Restoration releases, new scores you own, and its iconic imagery on prints and apparel.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2023/"
    },
    {
      "id": "nosferatu",
      "title": "Nosferatu",
      "creator": "F. W. Murnau (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1922,
      "enteredPD": null,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The classic silent vampire film is public domain.",
      "venture": "Restore and score it; the imagery is a horror-merch staple; adapt freely.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "merch-pod",
        "adaptation"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    },
    {
      "id": "the-general",
      "title": "The General",
      "creator": "Buster Keaton (dir.)",
      "category": "film",
      "published": 1926,
      "enteredPD": 2022,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "Keaton's silent comedy masterpiece; entered PD Jan 1, 2022.",
      "venture": "Restoration plus a new score; license the famous stunt sequences.",
      "playbooks": [
        "curated-bundle",
        "sync-recording"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2022/"
    },
    {
      "id": "rhapsody-in-blue",
      "title": "Rhapsody in Blue",
      "creator": "George Gershwin",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1924,
      "enteredPD": 2020,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The composition entered PD Jan 1, 2020 (pub. 1924).",
      "venture": "Record and license your own performance freely for film, ads, and games.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording",
        "curated-bundle"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2020/"
    },
    {
      "id": "yes-we-have-no-bananas",
      "title": "Yes! We Have No Bananas",
      "creator": "Frank Silver & Irving Cohn",
      "category": "music-composition",
      "published": 1923,
      "enteredPD": 2019,
      "status": "free",
      "country": "US",
      "notes": "The novelty smash entered PD Jan 1, 2019 (pub. 1923).",
      "venture": "Record a fresh version for comedy and ad sync; novelty merch.",
      "playbooks": [
        "sync-recording",
        "merch-pod"
      ],
      "source": "https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2026/"
    }
  ]
}