Start your Sherlock Holmes specs now!
There was a long-contested copyright over Sherlock Holmes, but that case has ended, and the character has entered the public domain in the United States. So what does that mean?
Well, you can now use the character in original ideas. That means you can work on a pilot starring the world’s greatest detective, a movie idea, or use things like the Hound of the Baskervilles to update a movie idea or put a twist on something. You can even write a spinoff about the character of Dr. Watson.
With Hollywood always interested in intellectual property, this is just another addition to recognizable titles and names that you can use for your own work.
What are some other notable works that hit the public domain in 2023?
Books
— The Gangs of New York, by Herbert Asbury (original publication)
— Death Comes for the Archbishop, by Willa Cather
— The Big Four, by Agatha Christie
Author: Jason Hellerman
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
