Woolf’s works enter public domain

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Woolf’s works enter public domain

As the clock counted down to 2012, the estates of artists, creators, authors and composers prepared to see their incomes wane as copyright works slip out of protection

For those countries where rights holders enjoy protection for 70 years after the artist’s death ­– among them EU member states and Australia – 2012 will see works come into the public domain by British novelist Virginia Woolf, French essayist Louis Bertrand, Irish sculptor John Hughes, French painter Jean Hippolyte Marchand and Lithuanian composer Jurgis Karnavičius.

So too the works of British artist Harold Harvey and US songwriter Howard Johnson, whose works include “I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream”.

For countries whose copyright terms last 50 years after the death of the creator - including China, Japan, Hong Kong and South Africa - this year sees the works of US novelists Thomas Bell and Ernest Hemingway lose copyright, along with books and articles by psychiatrist Carl Jung.

The works of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, who died in 1941, also come into the public domain in the EU and Australia. But in his native land, where the term is the life of the author plus 60 years, they have already been freely available for 10 years.

In India, the works of French author and Nobel prize winner André Gide, philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and, confusingly, Rabindranath’s nephew Abanindranath Tagore, a painter and author of children’s books, all enter the public domain.

In a separate development, Laos will see a significant copyright development this year when the Berne Convention enters into force in the country on March 14. It becomes the 165th contracting party.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

A new foundation in Chile is giving women in the IP community the mentorship, and visibility they’ve long lacked
The EUIPO is keen to stress the benefits of mediation as a means of resolving IP disputes, but do roadblocks remain?
Åsa Gustafson, global patent paralegal manager at Zacco, provides insight into the world of a paralegal, explains how she keeps abreast of legal developments, and reveals a passion for weaving
Alif Gultom and Andrew Diamond of Januar Jahja and Partners explain why Indonesia must adopt reforms against bad-faith filings and safeguard its trademark system for the future
In the third episode of a podcast series celebrating the tenth anniversary of IP Inclusive, we discuss the ‘Women in IP’ network and the current state of diversity within the profession
Practitioners, including two ex USPTO directors, say the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act could restore clarity and predictability to US patent law, though concerns remain
News of an alliance between two Malaysian law firms and the launch of a self-help video aimed at supporting IP professionals through menopause were also among the top talking points
Speakers at the EUIPO’s IP Mediation Conference discussed how lawyers can act in tandem with clients during mediation, and the importance of showing a united front
A report that revealed top legal LinkedIn influencers are generating hundreds of thousands in advertising value is the push lawyers need to up their social media presence
Speakers at the EUIPO’s Mediation Conference say mediation can offer a ‘cathartic’ and effective alternative to litigation that IP owners should consider
Gift this article