Several Gershwin classics, plus cartoons like Betty Boop and Blondie, have reached the U.S. copyright maximum.

Some of the properties headed into the public domain on Jan. 1 include the first Marx Brothers' film, William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury" and the first appearances of Popeye the Sailor Man.

Jan. 1 is Public Domain Day, meaning artworks from 1929 (or 1924 in the case of sound recordings) are now free for all creators to use and abuse to their hearts' content. The works of art, music, ...

Popeye can punch without permission and Tintin can roam freely starting in 2025. The two classic comic characters who first appeared in 1929 are among the intellectual properties becoming public ...