Some years ago, I was writing a science fiction short story in which I wanted to incorporate verses from a 1928 song, “Button Up Your Overcoat.” However, when I sold the story, my editor told me that since the song was still copyrighted, it was safer not to include the verses.
If I had written the story today, I could have used them — because the song passed into public domain two years ago.
If you’re looking for songs, books, or movies with content you want to use, you are probably examining which of your favorites are headed for the public domain. This year, copyrighted works created in 1930 (except for sound recordings, where the date is 1925) are now free to reuse and repurpose in the US.
As mentioned in our coverage last year, Duke Law School’s Center for the Study of Public Domain has once again rounded up all the most iconic works that have been freed from the bounds of copyright.
The year 1930 was a great year for raunchy films not affected by the Hays Code, a set of self-imposed guidelines that stated films should not “lower the moral standard of those who see it.” Though some studios began adopting the code in 1930, it wasn’t strictly enforced until 1934, prohibiting scenes with profanity, criminal activity, and sexual content, as noted by Duke University. In the 1930 film Morocco, for example, Hollywood star Marlene Dietrich wears a tuxedo and kisses another woman — something that wouldn’t be allowed under the Hays Code.
Betty Boop, that indomitable Fleischer flapper, also made her debut in 1930 in the cartoon Dizzy Dishes, so if you want to use clips for your own project, go to it. But be careful — Betty Boop first appeared as a dog — the earrings she later wore started out as dog ears. So it’s that version that is in the public domain, not the latest, more human versions. In the same way, the first appearance of Pluto (or, as he was called then, Rover) in The Picnic is the one that is now available in the public domain.
By the way, if you’re a gamer who wants to play with some of these characters, you might want to enter the Gaming Like It’s 1930 jam. You have until the end of January to enter your digital or analog game — keep in mind that it must contain a work dating from 1930.
