Public domain cartoons are non-copyrighted animated films that can be copied or adapted without paying a copyright holder. Early works by major studios and famous people have become public domain due to lapsing copyright protection. These cartoons are widely available on home video and the internet. Some public domain cartoons may still have some copyright protections, such as song or character protection.
Public domain cartoons are non-copyrighted animated films. The term “public domain” refers to any creative work that has fallen outside the bounds of copyright law for one reason or another. This means that these works can be copied or adapted by others without paying a copyright holder for usage rights. Public domain cartoons include early work by major studios and famous people where the copyright has been allowed to lapse. As a result, these cartoons are widely and cheaply available on home video and on the Internet.
According to many copyright laws and international agreements such as the Bern Convention, most creative works are protected by copyright for the life of the creator plus several decades. This provides continued income for artists and their heirs, at least in principle. During the first half of the 20th century, when many of the first animation studios were formed, copyright law in the United States required registration and renewal for continued protection of works. Some cartoonists have failed to meet this requirement due to insufficient legal advice or underestimating the lasting appeal of their characters. Early animated shorts featuring characters such as Popeye, Superman, and Bugs Bunny all became public domain cartoons.
Animation was a new technology in the early 20th century. Pioneering cartoonists such as Winsor McCay, Walt Disney, and the Fleischer brothers, Max and Dave, worked with various companies and partnerships while creating their groundbreaking cartoons. In these changing times, statutory renewals have sometimes been overlooked, allowing copyright protection to lapse. After these cartoonists had established studios in the 1920s and 1930s, they had legal departments to protect their valuable copyrights. Some early works by these great artists, however, had meanwhile become cartoons in the public domain.
Television became a popular entertainment medium in the 1950s, and cartoons soon became a staple of daily programming. Marketers and programmers realized they could air public domain cartoons without paying a license fee. When the home video market launched in the 1980s, other companies jumped at this same opportunity. As a result, these cartons became widely available on video cassettes and digital versatile discs (DVDs), often produced with inexpensive materials and packaging. Many of these companies relied on the household names of the characters and cartoonists to sell their products without requiring additional quality control.
Public domain cartoons may still have some copyright protections, such as song or character protection. As interest in classic animation grew in the late 20th century, some studios released high-quality home video versions of these cartoons. Many of these are also available for free viewing on Internet video sites. As with the home video releases, quality may vary on individual websites.
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