Public domain library

Public domain stories.Free to adapt, with the traps marked.

Every work here is out of copyright in the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom (with one Spanish exception until 2027, flagged on its page). Each page gives the status by country, what you can take, what still belongs to someone else (a studio's design, a recent translation, an actor's face), an adaptation idea, the steps in ScreenWeaver and links to the original text.

The worksour guide to adapting public domain works

How a work gets on this list

  • First published before 1931, so its US copyright has run out under the 95-year rule.
  • Its author died more than 70 years ago, so it is free in the UK and across the EU. The one exception, Spain's 80-year term for authors who died before 1987, is flagged on the page.
  • We link to the original text on a legal source, and we list what later versions added that is still protected.

The full rules, with the laws and court decisions behind them, are in our guide to adapting public domain works.

The works

Ten works to start with. Open one to see its status, its traps and how to adapt it.

Status checked on October 26, 2026 against the sources listed in our legal guide.

Why some famous titles are missing

Winnie-the-Pooh is free in the US but only enters the public domain in the UK and the EU on 1 January 2027, and E. H. Shepard's drawings stay protected there until 2047. Peter Pan carries a perpetual royalty for Great Ormond Street Hospital in the UK. Le Petit Prince is still protected in France and in the US. These cases are explained in our guide to adapting public domain works.

Questions

What does public domain mean?
A work is in the public domain when its copyright has expired. Anyone may then copy it, adapt it, translate it and sell what they make, without asking or paying anyone. It happens country by country: the date depends on local law.
Is a book free everywhere once it is free in the US?
No. The US counts from publication (95 years for works published from 1929 to 1977), Europe and the UK count from the author's death (70 years, 80 in Spain for authors who died before 1987). A 1926 book by an author who died in 1956 is free in the US and still protected in Europe until 1 January 2027.
Can I sell a film based on one of these works?
Yes. You can adapt, change and monetise a public domain story. What you cannot do is copy the protected parts of later versions, such as a studio's character design, the songs of a musical or the wording of a recent translation.
Can I use the text from Project Gutenberg?
Yes, for works that are in the public domain where you are. Project Gutenberg checks US status only. If you redistribute its files, its licence asks you to remove the Project Gutenberg name and licence; the underlying text is free.
Who owns my AI adaptation?
The story is free for everyone, so you cannot stop others from adapting it too. What you can own is your own contribution: your script, your choices, your edit. How far AI-generated images and video are protected depends on the country and on how much of the work is yours.

General information, not legal advice. Copyright, trademark and personality rights depend on the country and on the facts of each project. For a commercial release, have a lawyer check your chain of rights.

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