If you’re a fan of arts and entertainment, you’ll be happy to know that the turn of the year marked a very special occasion. What is that occasion? You ask. Well, the annual event known as Public Domain Day occurred, and this year, in particular, happened to be one of the most exciting for many years.
For the very first time, books, movies, and music published in 1923 had lost its copyright protection. This means that the works of world-renowned authors such as Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Virginia Woolf, and so much more are available to access at no cost.
In terms of getting access to this material, torrents have long been a popular method for downloading books. The fact that you’ll be able to download classic works without breaching copyright is certainly great news for all. There are a whole host of sites on which you can download book torrents, and it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see links to some of the world’s most popular literary works become available via such sites. This includes the likes of:
- The Great American Novel by William Carlos Williams
- Kangaroo by D.H. Lawrence
- Antic Hay by Aldous Huxley
That’s just a taster of some of the amazing books which are now available to use and access for free. So, it can most definitely be said that Public Domain Day 2019 is a great day for fans of such famous artworks. Find out more about what this means in the following article.
What is Public Domain Day?
Public Domain Day is known as an annual event which happens on the 1st of January. Based on the individual copyright laws of each country, it can be described as a day where copyrights expire and enter the public domain.
This year, it was announced that for the first time in over 20 years, classic works from 1923 will be free from copyright. This includes the likes of comedies featuring Charlie Chaplin, literary works by Robert Frost, and so much more. Essentially, it means that these types of material are free to use and build upon without having to pay a fee or ask permission.
This material was supposed to have been released in 1999 until Congress made the decision to postpone the public release of copyrighted material published between 1923 and 1977. They decided to pause the release term for 20 years, which means that the time finally arrived for the works to enter the public domain in 2019.
For book readers, this is fantastic news, as the Internet Archive will now add a whole host of books, movies, music, and a whole lot more to its digital library. HathiTrust alone has even made over 50,000 from 1923 available online. So, this just goes to show just how much material can now be freely used, rediscovered, and enjoyed by all.
What Does Public Domain Day Mean in the World of Copyright Law?
For many years, classic works which include movies, TV shows, books, and more were protected by copyright laws. So, this essentially meant that if anyone was to access or use the material without prior permission from the copyright holder, they could find themselves in hot water with the authorities.
However, the beginning of 2019 marked a huge occasion for fans of such material. This is because a whole host of beloved material was now available in the public domain. So, this meant that for the very first time, classics such as Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening were available to access penalty-free.
Fast forward to the 1st of January 2020, and classics from 1924 will be made available in the public domain, 1925 in 2021, and so on and so forth. So, it’s safe to say that as the years go by, fans of arts and entertainment most definitely have a lot to look forward to as some of the most world’s most loved content becomes free from copyright laws.
Conclusion
By now, it should go without saying that Public Domain Day 2019 marks a very special occasion indeed.
The ability to access such classic material is great news for all, and it’s safe to say that the possibilities are endless. After all, you’ll be able to do with it as you please, without having to worry about a run-in with the law!
Having such quick and easy access to the material is also a huge plus point, as in the digital age it’s now easier than ever to access all the content you could ever imagine. As we mentioned earlier, torrenting is without a doubt one of the most popular methods of downloading books, movies, and other material.
However, in spite of you being able to access the aforementioned material without infringing copyright, it’s always worth being on the safe side when downloading torrents. You can do exactly that by using a VPN – the perfect solution for safe and anonymous browsing.
