Betty Boop, Blondie, and a slew of Mickey Mouse cartoons are entering the public domain, so let's hope for something better than bargain bin horror games

A screenshot of Betty Boop singing in the 1930 animated short, "Dizzy Dishes." — (Image credit: Fleischer Studios)

Title 17 of the United States Code states that "in the case of an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication." (Or 120 years after its creation, whichever comes first). After that, it's offered up to the people, who do the diligent work of turning it into various horror games.

The pool of public domain options grows with each New Year's Day, when a fresh batch of copyrights evaporates. There are some caveats, and copyright law is distinct from trademark law; you can read more about that and see a list of notable works entering the public domain this year on the Duke Law website.

I want to find this news delightfully novel—the public domain is the reason we have the celebrated Lies of P and American McGee's Alice—but creative leaps like those feel a mite rare compared to the likes of Pooh: Blood and Honey. I'm still waiting to hear wind of anything like the Sailor Man soulslike PC Gamer's Lincoln Carpenter dreamed up at the beginning of last year, when E.C. Segar's Popeye and Hergé's Tintin entered the public domain. Are we in for a payload of indie comic strip point-and-clicks starring Betty Boop and Dagwood? Maybe, but I'm guessing we'll have to wait for the novelty of subversive schlock retoolings to wear off first.

That said, the Duke Law post I mentioned contends Fleischer Studios can't copyright "trivial" or "stereotypical modifications" such as "replacing the dog ears with human ones, dressing her in standard attire for a cabaret performer or homemaker, adding a Rosie the Riveter bandana, or modulating her voice to reflect newer singing styles." As you might expect, it's a gray area; the post qualifies its point, stating "reasonable people could disagree on exactly where the line is to be drawn."

Justin first became enamored with PC gaming when World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights 2 rewired his brain as a wide-eyed kid. As time has passed, he's amassed a hefty backlog of retro shooters, CRPGs, and janky '90s esoterica. Whether he's extolling the virtues of Shenmue or troubleshooting some fiddly old MMO, it's hard to get his mind off games with more ambition than scruples. When he's not at his keyboard, he's probably birdwatching or daydreaming about a glorious comeback for real-time with pause combat. Any day now...

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