New Entrants to Public Domain
With our change of the calendar to 2012 it is worth noting the many artists, writers, lyricists and other 'creative types' whose work now passes into the "public domain" as a result of applicable copyright laws (i.e. in Canada, the life of the author/creator plus fifty years; in other jurisdictions, the life of the author/creator plus seventy years).
With the help of a third party blog post entitled "Public Domain Day 2012", the unofficial list of creators whose published works have potentially* entered the public domain in Canada includes, among others, Ernest Hemingway and Carl Jung, both of him died in 1961. In other jurisdictions (i.e. Europe) where the relevant date is 1941, the list of creators includes such prominent figures as James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and Frederick Banting.
* It is important to note that entry into the Public Domain is not automatic and subject to many qualifications including works of joint authorship, unpublished/posthumous works, retroactive extensions, etc. If in doubt, contact legal counsel for advice.
