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UNCOVERED: Jennifer jenkins | History Defined

Betty Boop and Blondie join Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh in the public domain

“It’s a big year,” said Jennifer Jenkins of Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain. “It's just the sheer familiarity of all this culture.”

Fortune

Betty Boop and 'Blondie' enter the public domain in 2026, accompanied by a trio of detectives

Betty Boop and “Blondie” are among the highlights of titles entering the public domain with the arrival of 2026

The Independent UK

Disney sues Hong Kong company Red Earth, saying it is selling illegal Mickey Mouse jewellery

The earliest version of Mickey Mouse may be in the public domain as of last year, but Disney continues its efforts to protect its intellectual property from unauthorized appropriation... Here's everything you need to know about their lawsuit against Red Earth.

Euronews

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“We have a lot of cool songs in Blink, it’s weird to me that’s the one!”: Blink-182 on the making of the “pretty little ballad” that became their biggest ever hit

The trio needed one more song to complete their third album, so Tom DeLonge went home and summoned up a classic…

Louder

Popeye and Tintin have entered the public domain, so I'll just go ahead and start the countdown clock for our first Sailor Man soulslike

Any spinach-fueled super strength might have to wait a couple more years, though.

PC Gamer

Mickey Mouse Is Now In the Public Domain. Well, Sort Of.

Even though only one very specific version of the character is free to use, it still represents a positive step for creative expression.

Reason

'Steamboat Willie' is now in the public domain. What does that mean for Mickey Mouse?

A 1928 movie featuring the first appearance of Mickey Mouse enters public domain on Jan. 1. But creative and commercial access to the character is complicated by both copyright and trademark law.

WEKU

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Legal Battles Loom As First Mickey Mouse Copyright Ends

Almost a century after his big-screen debut, Mickey Mouse enters the public domain Monday, opening the floodgates to potential remakes, spin-offs, adaptations... and legal battles with Disney.

International Business Times

Earliest Mickey Mouse character to enter public domain

Current artists and creators will be able to make use of Mickey, but with major limits. It is only the more mischievous, rat-like, non-speaking boat captain in “Steamboat Willie” that has become public.

Chicago Sun-Times

Mickey Mouse will soon belong to you and me — with some caveats

Mickey Mouse is about to belong to you and me

The Independent UK

Monkey Herpes, Face Eating, and the Pork Chop Gang: How Public Records Laws Created the Florida Man

The growing anti-transparency atmosphere in the state might make the Florida Man extinct.

Reason

Winnie the Pooh turns murderous in ‘Blood and Honey’ horror movie

A change in the bear’s copyright status lets filmmakers do anything they want with the character, and Mickey Mouse and Superman may be next.

Chicago Sun-Times

In which Winnie the Pooh stars in an R-rated slasher movie

The Hundred Acre Wood has seen some pretty unsettling things over the years

The Independent UK

Quicksand warning at Tasmanian beach — but expert says threat is minimal

A toy poodle owner has likened rescuing her dog from quicksand at a Tasmanian beach to the notorious swamp scene from The NeverEnding Story, while an expert advises if you are stuck in the stuff — the best thing to do is lean back and relax.

ABC News

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The Guardian - UK

Something is afoot with copyright this Public Domain Day

On New Year’s Day, copyright in the US expires on a new clutch of artistic works. But shady legal shenanigans mean it’s a little overdue…

Los Angeles Times

Michael Hiltzik: These historic works are coming free from copyright. Why did it take so long?

It's well understood that Sherlock Holmes dispatched his great nemesis, Professor Moriarty, to his death in the 1893 story "The Final Problem," but not until this New Year's Day does the fictional detective shed the shackles that have bound him to an even longer-lived nemesis: the complexities of copyright law.

Fortune

How UPS, Bayer, and Rubicon Carbon are driving impact through sustainable technology

From artificial intelligence and blockchain to carbon storage and drone use, new and disruptive technologies are being deployed across all industries.

Tribune News Service

Editorial: Our schools have problems. Bathrooms aren’t among them

In a functioning Florida Legislature, state Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, would be an outlier.

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The Independent UK

DeSantis puts his imprint on school board races in Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' effort to place candidates fully aligned with his conservative views on school boards throughout the state is helping him expand his influence

Salon

Moms 4 Liberty: Warriors with big plans

At the Moms for Liberty summit, they gave Ron DeSantis a sword. That wasn't the strangest or scariest part by far

Chicago Sun-Times

Dear Abby: If I host (and pay for) shower, must I buy a gift too?

Family member who arranged a party for bride-to-be is chided for not giving a present as well.

Orlando Sentinel

Scott Maxwell: Florida Rep. Randy Fine calls school leader ‘whore,’ threatens Special Olympics

Florida author and columnist Carl Hiaasen always said it’s tough to write good fiction about Florida — because nothing you can imagine is more absurd than this state’s reality.

People

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