Betty Boop Enters Public Domain as Horror Films and Creative Freedom Collide

The Jazz Age Icon Goes Free

Under U.S. law, the copyright on thousands of creations from 1930 — including films, books, musical compositions and more — will expire at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2026, meaning they will be free to use, share and adapt after nearly a century. Among the most recognizable faces joining the public domain is Betty Boop, the flapper cartoon character who first appeared in Max Fleischer's "Dizzy Dishes" cartoon in August 1930.

When she first appears in the 1930 short "Dizzy Dishes," one of four of her cartoons entering the public domain, she's already totally recognizable as the Jazz Age flapper later memorialized in countless tattoos, T-shirts and bumper stickers. But she's also got dangling poodle ears and a tiny black nose. Those would soon morph into dangling earrings and a tiny white nose. She was based at least in part on singer Helen Kane, known as the "Boop-Oop-a-Doop Girl," thanks to a hit 1929 song. Kane would lose a lawsuit over Betty Boop's character and use of the phrase.

Jennifer Jenkins, the director of Duke University Law School's Center for the Study of the Public Domain, who has compiled an annual list of public domain entrants for over a decade, says "I think this is my favorite crop of works yet, which is saying a lot." The public will be able to copy and reproduce thousands of copyrighted works from 1930 in the new year, including flirtatious flapper Betty Boop, nine additional Mickey Mouse cartoons and novels from Agatha Christie and William Faulkner.

Creative Freedom Unleashed

Those productions had to get permission and pay money to adapt those characters at the time, Jenkins explains. "What's different now is if you and me are really good at choreographing dance moves and writing lyrics for songs, we could make our own musical featuring Betty Boop 1.0 and we can go in whatever crazy directions we want," she says. This freedom has already sparked creative projects, ranging from legitimate artistic endeavors to more questionable adaptations.

Furst Class Productions will produce the film, which is being described as a "re-imagining of 1930s cartoon icon Betty Boop but told through a genre lens." The synopsis reads: A team of horror podcast investigators breaks into an abandoned theater to discover the hauntings of the starlet once known as Boop. A simple investigation turns into a horrific blood bath as they fight to escape the murderous Boop, as she is out for revenge. The film stars Katisha Shaw, Spencer Breslin, Eva Hamilton, Colton Tran, and Devanny Pinn as Boop.

A lot of creative works from the 1930s haven't been in print for decades, and ownership questions have kept many from being available online at all — at least while they were under copyright. "Publishing houses go out of business, people die, ownership changes hands," Jenkins adds. And when they go into the public domain, you don't have to worry about that.

Legal Complexities Remain

While the original 1930 version of Betty Boop enters the public domain, the legal landscape remains complex. In an important distinction often raised by Disney over Mickey Mouse, a character's trademark is distinct from the copyright of works that feature them. The Fleischer Productions trademark of Betty Boop remains intact. Newer, revised iterations are still copyrighted, and trademark rights still apply to names and designs when used on merchandise.

Fleischer Studios, the company that licenses Betty Boop, has posted a page on its site entitled Fact Check 2026: Is Betty Boop in the Public Domain? The page features a letter from Mark Fleischer, the chairman and CEO of the company, explaining why, in their view, Betty Boop will not enter the public domain in 2026. They claim that the version of the character in Dizzy Dishes isn't Betty Boop at all, but rather, is a "precursor" of the character.

However, as Aaron Moss pointed out in his post, "Campaigns like Fleischer's 'Fact Check' often succeed not by winning in court, but by creating enough uncertainty to make creators think twice about pursuing new adaptations—and that may be the point."

Cultural Impact and Future Implications

Another benefit is that third parties can now digitize old films and sound recordings that have physically deteriorated over the decades — allowing for their preservation and wider distribution. Jenkins says that's especially exciting for teachers, who can make use of these resources for free at a time when school budgets are shrinking.

The 2026 public domain class represents more than just legal technicalities. The literary highlights range from William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying to Agatha Christie's The Murder at the Vicarage and the first four Nancy Drew novels. From cart