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Public Domain Day 2026
24 Dec, 2025
2025-12-24 1:11:41 PM UTC
2025-12-24 1:11:41 PM UTC
I cannot see much new for Tolkien, generally items published up to 1930 become public domain in the USA on January 1st, 2026.
This is an interesting one though, the sound recordings are already freely available (though probably still in copyright), but the printed matter will be public domain soon.
https://tolkienbooks.net/php/details2.php?id=72
For those interested, an interesting list of other material that is Public Domain next year, in the USA.
https://copyrightlately.com/public-domain-2026/#lists
This is an interesting one though, the sound recordings are already freely available (though probably still in copyright), but the printed matter will be public domain soon.
https://tolkienbooks.net/php/details2.php?id=72
For those interested, an interesting list of other material that is Public Domain next year, in the USA.
https://copyrightlately.com/public-domain-2026/#lists
For those of us who are not well-versed in the downstream economic, social and cultural impacts of a work entering public domain (above and beyond it being legal to copy/reproduce etc.), what are the likely consequences of Tolkien's work entering public domain in the U. S. on publishing?
Agatha Christie, although not comparable to Tolkien in any significant intellectual or literary way, has sold an immense number of books. Do we know anything about how some works entering U.S. public domain has impacted the publishing environment for those books? Could it give us some ideas? Did it make publishing those books less attractive for publishers or did it lead to a reinvigoration? Or is it too complex to tell? Only reason I mention Christie is to try to avoid speculation and try to look at real-world examples.
Since the European standard is 70 years after the death of the author, I guess not much will change in the UK and continental Europe?
Agatha Christie, although not comparable to Tolkien in any significant intellectual or literary way, has sold an immense number of books. Do we know anything about how some works entering U.S. public domain has impacted the publishing environment for those books? Could it give us some ideas? Did it make publishing those books less attractive for publishers or did it lead to a reinvigoration? Or is it too complex to tell? Only reason I mention Christie is to try to avoid speculation and try to look at real-world examples.
Since the European standard is 70 years after the death of the author, I guess not much will change in the UK and continental Europe?
For Agatha Christie, anyone can write their own story, using any of the characters published that are now in the Public Domain, and publish these books in the USA, without any royalties being paid to the Estate, as of January, that includes Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
There will be a big impact as well, in other countries such as the UK, when all of Tolkien becomes public domain, 2043 and Christie, 2046, as all royalties will stop at that point. This does not apply to works written or edited by Christopher Tolkien as an example, such as The Silmarillion, parts of which but not all would be public domain.
There will be a big impact as well, in other countries such as the UK, when all of Tolkien becomes public domain, 2043 and Christie, 2046, as all royalties will stop at that point. This does not apply to works written or edited by Christopher Tolkien as an example, such as The Silmarillion, parts of which but not all would be public domain.
24 Dec, 2025
(edited)
2025-12-24 8:35:46 PM UTC
Edited by The late Stu on 2025-12-24 8:55:36 PM UTC
Edited by The late Stu on 2025-12-24 8:56:01 PM UTC
Edited by The late Stu on 2025-12-24 8:56:01 PM UTC
2025-12-24 8:35:46 PM UTC
Worth saying is already PD in NZ (and has been for two years), and nothing at all has been published. I think the difficulties around Trademark law and the expectation that the Estate will likely sue anyone (and has more money than anyone who might choose to print) means no one has bothered.
I don't see PD really making any difference even in the UK (in 2043), and a litigious estate and trademark law will be the twin hammers that prevent it.
I don't see PD really making any difference even in the UK (in 2043), and a litigious estate and trademark law will be the twin hammers that prevent it.
Is the original published version of Goblin Feet even in (US/UK) PD yet? Or is that not until 1973+70 years?
DMRoberts wrote:
Is the original published version of Goblin Feet even in (US/UK) PD yet? Or is that not until 1973+70 years?
Should be in the public domain (as of Jan 1, 2022), given the Book of Fairy Poetry (which may or may not be the earliest US publication) was in 1920.
Ok, so that's the US PD, but the UK? It's even earlier there.
It would be good to know which of his early published poems, if any, are PD and where. And what is the moving wall, if it's not just a flat 2043.
It would be good to know which of his early published poems, if any, are PD and where. And what is the moving wall, if it's not just a flat 2043.
DMRoberts wrote:
Ok, so that's the US PD, but the UK? It's even earlier there.
It would be good to know which of his early published poems, if any, are PD and where. And what is the moving wall, if it's not just a flat 2043.
Not PD on the UK until 2043, as the UK is based solely on author date of death, whereas the US had different rules for works first published prior to 1923 (and there are some other key dates where different rules applied).
Every chance copyright will be extended beyond 70 years before 2043 - corporate interests and all that.
Thinking of public domain day, here's my wish list of items that are in PD now but that haven't (to my knowledge) reached the internet in a full scan of of yet:
Lastly, while the date hasn't quite been reached yet, the other archive I'd love to see become available is of the issues of the Oxford Magazine from the 1930s as Tolkien had a number of items in those as well.
- The Gryphon, Leeds, N.S., vol. 4, no. 3 (December 1922) [this one actually does exist, but for some reason the page (95) containing Tolkien's poem "The Clerke's Compleinte" is missing from the archive]
- A Northern Venture: Verses by Members of the University of Leeds University English School Association (1923)
- Leeds University Verse 1914-1924 (1924)
- The Stapeldon Magazine, Oxford, vol. 7, no. 40 (June 1927) [contains poems "Fastitocalon" and "Iumbo, or ye Kinde of ye Oliphaunt"]
- Wonder Tales from Fairy Isles (1929) [contains poem "Goblin Feet"] [photos in this thread]
Lastly, while the date hasn't quite been reached yet, the other archive I'd love to see become available is of the issues of the Oxford Magazine from the 1930s as Tolkien had a number of items in those as well.
PxChris wrote:
- The Gryphon, Leeds, N.S., vol. 4, no. 3 (December 1922) [this one actually does exist, but for some reason the page (95) containing Tolkien's poem "The Clerke's Compleinte" is missing from the archive]

PxChris wrote:
- The Stapeldon Magazine, Oxford, vol. 7, no. 40 (June 1927) [contains poems "Fastitocalon" and "Iumbo, or ye Kinde of ye Oliphaunt"]





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