Betty Boop and 'Blondie' enter the public domain in 2026
AP News••entertainment
Key Points:
- Betty Boop and Blondie, along with early Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh works, will enter the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2026, as their 95-year copyright terms expire, allowing creators to use these characters without permission or payment.
- The earliest Betty Boop cartoons from 1930, where she initially appeared as a dog-like character, and the Blondie comic strip debut will be freely available for creative reuse, though trademarks on these characters remain protected.
- Iconic literary detectives Nancy Drew, Sam Spade, and Miss Marple, along with William Faulkner’s novel "As I Lay Dying" and the Dick and Jane readers, will also enter the public domain, opening up new
