2011 in public domain

When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of works that entered the public domain in 2011. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.

Entered the public domain in countries with life + 70 years

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With the exception of Belarus & Spain (which has a copyright term of Life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987), a work enters the public domain in Europe 70 years after the creator's death, if it was published during the creator's lifetime.[1][2] The list is sorted alphabetically and includes a notable work of the creator that entered the public domain on January 1, 2011.

Names Country Birth Death Occupation Notable work
J.-H. Rosny aîné  Belgium
 France 		17 February 1856 11 February 1940 Author Les Xipéhuz and The Death of the Earth
Walter Benjamin  Germany 15 July 1892 26 September 1940 Philosopher The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
E. F. Benson  United Kingdom 24 July 1867 29 February 1940 Writer, archeologist Mapp and Lucia series: Queen Lucia, Miss Mapp
John Buchan  United Kingdom 26 August 1875 11 February 1940 Writer, politician List of works by John Buchan
Pedro de Alcântara  Brazil 15 October 1875 29 January 1940
Mikhail Bulgakov  Russia 15 May 1891 10 March 1940 Writer Heart of a Dog
Jan F. E. Celliers  South Africa 12 January 1865 1 June 1940 Writer Die Vlakte en ander gedigte
Louis Fles  Netherlands 19 October 1872 24 May 1940 Businessman, author Hitler, hervormer of misdadiger?
Walter Hasenclever  Germany 8 July 1890 22 June 1940 Poet, playwright The Son
Verner von Heidenstam  Sweden 6 July 1859 20 May 1940 Writer Folkunga Trädet
John A. Hobson  United Kingdom 6 July 1858 1 April 1940 Economist List of works by John A. Hobson
Paul Klee   Switzerland 18 December 1879 29 June 1940 Artist Paul Klee Notebooks
Jan Kubelík  Czech Republic 5 July 1880 5 December 1940 Composer
Selma Lagerlöf  Sweden 20 November 1858 16 March 1940 Writer, teacher Gösta Berling's Saga
George Lansbury  United Kingdom 22 February 1859 20 May 1940 Politician, editor What I Saw in Russia
Philip Francis Nowlan  United States 13 November 1888 1 February 1940 Author Armageddon 2419 A.D.
Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer  Poland 12 February 1865 18 January 1940 Writer The End of the 19th Century, Hymn to Nirvana
Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao  India 2 November 1865 1 January 1940 Writer Works
Silvestre Revueltas  Mexico 31 December 1899 5 October 1940 Composer Homenaje a Federico García Lorca
Anton Hansen Tammsaare  Estonia 30 January 1878 1 March 1940 Writer Truth and Justice,
Menno ter Braak  Netherlands 26 January 1902 14 May 1940 Writer Het nationaal-socialisme als rancuneleer
Leon Trotsky  Russia 7 November 1879 21 August 1940 Marxist theorist List of books by Leon Trotsky
Édouard Vuillard  France 11 November 1868 21 June 1940 Artist The Seamstress

Entered the public domain in countries with life + 50 years

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In most countries of Africa and Asia, as well as Belarus, Bolivia, Canada, New Zealand, Egypt and Uruguay; a work enters the public domain 50 years after the creator's death.

Names Country Birth Death Occupation Notable work
Chris van Abkoude  Netherlands 6 November 1880 2 January 1960 Writer, Novelist Pietje Bell
Lady Cynthia Asquith  United Kingdom 27 September 1887 31 March 1960 Author and editor This Mortal Coil
Eric Temple Bell  United Kingdom
 United States 		7 February 1883 21 December 1960 Mathematician and science fiction writer
Albert Camus  France 7 November 1913 4 January 1960 Philosopher, author The Stranger
Victor Rousseau Emanuel  United Kingdom 2 January 1879 6 April 1960 Author
John Russell Fearn  United Kingdom 5 June 1908 18 September 1960 Author
Elsie J. Oxenham  United Kingdom 25 November 1880 9 January 1960 Children's novelist Abbey Series of books
Eden Phillpotts  United Kingdom 4 November 1862 29 December 1960 Author, poet and dramatist The Farmer's Wife
Nevil Shute  United Kingdom 17 January 1899 12 January 1960 Aeronautical engineer, novelist On the Beach
Victor Sjöström  Sweden 20 September 1879 3 January 1960 Film director, actor The Phantom Carriage
Dadasaheb Torne  India 13 April 1890 19 January 1960 Film director Shree Pundalik

Entering the public domain in countries with life + 80 years

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Spain (for creators that died before 1987), Colombia and Equatorial Guinea have a copyright term of life + 80 years. The list is sorted alphabetically and includes one notable work that entered the public domain on 1 January 2011 for each creator.

List of authors
Names Country Birth Death Occupation Notable work
Thomas Bulch  Australia 30 December 1862 13 November 1930 Composer Memories of England
Henry Creamer  United States 21 June 1879 14 October 1930 Composer, lyricist
Charles Derennes  France 4 August 1882 27 April 1930 Author, essayist and poet
Arthur Conan Doyle  United Kingdom 22 May 1859 7 July 1930 Author and physician The Lost World, Sherlock Holmes

Entering the public domain in the United States

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See also: Public domain in the United States

In the United States, the copyright status of works extends for the life of the author or artists, plus 70 years.[3][4] If the work is owned by a corporation, then the copyright extends 95 years.[5]

Due to the passing of the Copyright Term Extension Act (Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act) in 1998, no new works would enter the public domain in this jurisdiction until 2019.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "EU Extends Copyright Term To 70 Years | Billboard". Billboard.biz. 2011-09-12. Archived from the original on 2013-01-06. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  2. ^ Directive 2006/116/EC
  3. ^ "What Could Have Entered the Public Domain | Duke University School of Law".
  4. ^ "One Hundred Fifth Congress of the United States of America - At the second session - An Act To amend the provisions of title 17, United States Code, with respect to the duration of copyright, and for other purposes" (PDF). Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  5. ^ "LibGuides: Copyright at Cornell Libraries: Copyright Services".
  6. ^ "United States Copyright Law". Archived from the original on 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
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