What will enter the public domain in 2025?

Advent calendar format and “spoiler” lists

• Several commenters find the advent‑calendar reveal format cute but impractical; most expect to wait until Public Domain Day for the full list.
• Others bypass it via dev tools or by decoding a base64 (and even hex) list posted in the thread; tricks include data: URLs and one‑liner curl | base64 --decode commands.

Notable upcoming works and access problems

• Excitement around various 1929 works (e.g., hard‑boiled crime, modernist novels, early sound films, pioneering art and philosophy).
• Discussion of a famous noir novel that already exists in public‑domain magazine form, but whose pulp issues are extremely rare and fragile; major libraries often have incomplete or undigitized runs.
• More broadly, many note that “public domain” doesn’t guarantee availability: out‑of‑print books and magazines can be practically inaccessible despite being legally free.

Architecture, monuments, and visual IP

• Interest in iconic buildings and artworks aging into public domain, and what that enables: inclusion in games, unlicensed replicas, freer photography.
• Examples where copyright claims on buildings or statues have suppressed their visibility (e.g., a city statue seldom shown in promotional images; a skyscraper removed from a game series).
• Reminder that some modern lighting designs on historic structures can still be copyrighted separately.

Patents, codecs, and related freedoms

• 2025 also marks the sunset of remaining patents on a major video codec; commenters are enthusiastic about a “free” baseline for audio/video (with MP3, open codecs, etc.).
• At the same time, newer codecs (HEVC, AV1) are mired in patent‑pool disputes, undermining the promise of royalty‑free standards.

Public domain vs. jurisdiction and enforcement

• Some countries historically had much shorter terms, so works could be PD locally but not elsewhere.
• Debate over whether hosting in a short‑term country meaningfully helps users in strict‑copyright countries, given import and contributory‑infringement risks.

Derivative works and partial IP

• Substantial confusion around what becomes free when only early versions or specific aspects (e.g., original book vs. later film details, character traits) enter the public domain.
• Examples of lawsuits over small character details or later personality traits, and of adaptations that must avoid post‑PD embellishments (e.g., specific shoe colors, side characters).

Copyright duration and reform ideas

• Broad consensus in the thread that current terms (life+70 or 95 years) are far too long.
• Proposals range from ~10–30 years fixed, to 14+14‑year renewal schemes, to TRIPS‑minimum 50 years from publication.
• Many argue long terms harm culture: cause “missing” 20th‑century works, orphan works, and prevent new creators from legally building on the art they grew up with.
• Counter‑arguments stress incentives and the desire to support heirs, though critics note most works earn little after the first decade and that other social tools (savings, inheritance, welfare) are better suited than extended copyright.
• Reform ideas include:
  • Different terms for different rights (copying vs. derivatives).
  • Compulsory licenses after an exclusive period.
  • Escalating renewal fees to force abandonment of underused rights.
  • Faster PD entry for works no longer commercially available.

Cultural consequences and fan activity

• Some lament that modern “myths” (space operas, superheroes, cartoon icons) are locked up by corporations, unlike traditional folklore.
• Others point out that fan fiction and unofficial derivatives already flourish semi‑tolerated (though always revocable) under current law.
• A recurring motif: as soon as characters hit public domain, people rush to make horror takes and adult parodies, with many assuming erotic “rule 34” versions appear even before expiry.