The first tweet of the New Year from the always-interesting Boho Lawyer drew my attention to the fact that January 1 was Public Domain Day. Alas, President Obama is not issuing a proclamation to celebrate the occasion. Public Domain Day is the the brainchild of Duke University's Center for the Study of the Public Domain. There is a lot of interesting material of their site, including a list of prominent authors, some of whose important works are entering the public domain today in some jurisdictions. The caveats are fascinating to read, illustrating, in the words of the Center, "how fiendishly complex copyright laws can be."
Key point: thanks the the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, no works will be newly entering the public domain in the United States until 2019.
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