Public domain in the US, the EU and the UK
The Little MermaidHans Christian Andersen, 1837
Andersen's 1837 tale is free, and it has no Ariel, no singing crab and no happy ending. Disney's characters and even the Copenhagen statue have owners.
- First published
- 1837
- Author died
- 1875
- Original language
- Danish
Copyright status
| Where | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Public domain. First published in 1837, before 1931: the 95-year US term for works of that age has run out. |
| European Union and United Kingdom | Public domain since 1 January 1946. Hans Christian Andersen died in 1875, and the term is 70 years after the end of the year of death. |
| Other countries | Most countries protect a work for 50 to 100 years after its author's death, and some have transition rules. If you release or sell in a specific country, check its law. |
Status checked on October 26, 2026 against the sources listed in our legal guide.
The youngest daughter of the sea king falls in love with a human prince after saving him from a shipwreck. To win him, and a human soul, she goes to the sea witch, who gives her legs in exchange for her voice: every step will feel like walking on knives. The prince is fond of her but marries a princess. Offered a knife to kill him and return to the sea, the little mermaid throws it away and turns to foam, then rises to join the daughters of the air.
Free to use
- The 1837 Danish tale, Den lille Havfrue, and its old translations.
- The little mermaid, her sisters and grandmother, the sea king, the sea witch and the prince.
- The original ending, with the daughters of the air.
- Andersen's other tales, all free, and any version you make.
Watch out for
- The names Ariel, Ursula, Sebastian and Flounder, the designs and the songs come from Disney's 1989 and 2023 films and are protected. In Andersen, the mermaid and the witch have no names.
- The bronze statue in Copenhagen is by Edvard Eriksen, who died in 1959: it stays protected in the EU until the end of 2029, and his heirs have taken action over its use.
- Recent translations are protected. Check who made one before quoting it, or translate from the Danish.
- AI models default to a red-haired Disney mermaid. Write your own description.
The full rules, with the laws and court decisions behind them, are in our guide to adapting public domain works.
An adaptation idea
Knives: every step on land hurts, and the prince never knows what she gave up.
Adapt it in ScreenWeaver
These are the steps as they run in ScreenWeaver today. You read and edit every step, and you start every generation yourself, in the app.
- 1Get the Danish text from Wikisource, or an old English translation from Project Gutenberg (links below), and save it as a PDF with a text layer.
- 2Attach it to a film project and ask for the characters, places and objects. Create the mermaid and her human form as two states of one character.
- 3Write the art direction: the sea king's palace, the witch's grotto, a seaside castle. Add a style image of your own.
- 4Ask for the scenes, then the shots of each scene.
- 5Generate the frames in Storyboard, then the clips in Production.
How a whole book becomes scenes and shots: novel to storyboard.
Original texts
Where to get The Little Mermaid from a legal source
- Project GutenbergEnglishEnglish translation: check who made it and when they died before you quote its wordingPublic domain in the US. Outside the US, check your own law. If you republish the file, remove the Project Gutenberg name and licence, as its licence asks.
- WikisourceDanishSearch across editionsSearch results across editions. Each edition names its source: for a translation, check who translated it and when.
- WikisourceEnglishSearch across editionsSearch results across editions. Each edition names its source: for a translation, check who translated it and when.
Questions
Is The Little Mermaid public domain?
Can I call my mermaid Ariel?
Can I show the Copenhagen statue?
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.
Other works to adapt
- PinocchioCollodi's 1883 book is free, and much darker than the films. Disney's puppet, Jiminy Cricket's name and look, and recent films belong to their makers.
- Alice's Adventures in WonderlandCarroll's book and John Tenniel's illustrations are free. Disney's Alice is not: design from Tenniel.
- The Wonderful Wizard of OzBaum's 1900 book is free to adapt. The ruby slippers, the green-skinned witch and the songs come from the 1939 film, and Wicked is its own protected work.