Public Domain Day

proper noun

An annual observance on January 1 of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain. Copyrights usually expire every year on January 1 based on the individual copyright laws of each country.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. An annual observance on January 1 of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain. Copyrights usually expire every year on January 1 based on the individual copyright laws of each country.

Origin

First mentioned by Lawrence Lessig in 2004, but it is unclear when observance began.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Public Domain Day. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Public%20Domain%20Day

MLA

“Public Domain Day.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Public%20Domain%20Day. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Public Domain Day,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Public%20Domain%20Day.

Source: Public Domain Day on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.