Characters, copyrights, trademarks and the Public Domain

This is an easy to digest manual for fans of characters not yet in the international public domain or are obscure characters in said public domain. 

Since Emilio Salgari passed away over a century ago, the first eleven instalments in the Sandokan series entered the international public domain in 1962 (for most nations other than the EU) and 1982 (for the EU). 

Nadir Salgari’s contributions to the Mythos were amongst the first (other than Emilio Salgari himself) to enter the public domain for most nations in 1987, but did not become public domain in the EU until 2007. 

Giovanni Bertinetti’s contributions to the Mythos were added into the international public domain in 2001 (for most nations other than the EU) and 2021 (for the EU). Luigi Motta’s contributions to the series have already entered the public domains of most African nations in 2006, but aren’t yet in the EU and Australian public domain until 2026. Omar Salgari’s contributions to the Mythos already entered the public domains of most developing African nations in 2014, but aren’t yet in the EU public domain until 2034. For Emilio Fancelli’s contributions to such a Mythos, they’ve become public domain worthy for most nations in 2022, but aren’t yet in the Indian and EU/Australian public domains until 2032 and 2042. 

Alexander Grin’s own Grinlandia universe got added into the international public domain in 1983 (for most nations other than the EU) and 2003 (for the EU).  

Dhan Gopal Mukherji’s Hari The Jungle Lad and Kari The Elephant novels became public domain works in 1986 (for most nations other than the EU) and 2006 (for the EU). 

The Jukan series by Niels Meyn is technically public domain material in most African nations since 2008. But it’s not yet in the Australian and EU public domains until 2028. His stablemate Anjani The Mighty decidedly entered the South African public domain in 2011, but becomes public domain in Australia in 2031. 

Both of Mehboob Khan’s Mother India films have casting auditions which entered the public domains of most nations other than India, the EU and Australia in 2015, but are not yet entering the other public domains until 2025 (for India) and 2035 (for the EU and Australia). 

Rene Guillot’s countless characters have entered the public domains of most African nations in 2020, but are not yet in the other public domains until 2030 (for India) and 2040 (for the EU and Australia). 

As the story around Sheena Queen of the Jungle was most likely created by Jerry Iger, it’s very likely that Mort Meskin and Will Eisner were amongst the other first artist-writers for both the character and her eponymous comic strip. Thus, the comic strip version of the character is not in the international public domain until 2041 (for most nations other than India, the EU and Australia), 2051 (for India), and 2061 (for the EU and Australia). 

For Meskin’s contributions to the Sheena Mythos, they have to wait until 2046 (for most nations other than India, the EU and Australia), 2056 (for India) and 2066 (for the EU and Australia). But as for Eisner’s contributions to the same Mythos, they aren’t in the international public domain until 2056 (for most developing nations other than India, the EU and Australia), 2066 (for India) and 2076 (for the EU and Australia). 

Ironically, the first tv version of the character herself is also, in a celebratory twist, the first of her many incarnations to have become a fully fledged public domain character, as she already has been such since at least 2014 for most African nations rather than for India, the EU and Australia. However, she may not fully enter the public domain until 2024 (for India) and 2034 (for the EU and Australia). 

Since Leslie Stevens passed away in 1998, the screenplay to the 1984 film incarnation may not enter the public domain until 2049 (for most African nations, other than India, the EU and Australia), 2059 (for India) and 2069 (for the EU and Australia). As for David Newman’s contributions to the film, they do not enter the public domain until 2054 (for most nations other than India, the EU and Australia), 2064 (for India) and 2074 (for the EU and Australia). 

Something similar can be said for Souji Yamakawa’s countless characters, as they aren’t yet in the public domain up until 2043 (for most developing African nations rather than India, the EU and Australia), 2053 (for India), and 2063 (for the EU and Australia). 

Since Hansrudi Wäscher passed away in 2016, Tibor and Nizar aren’t even in the international public domain up until 2067 (for most African nations rather than India, the EU and Australia), 2077 (for India) and 2087 (for the EU and Australia).