The Great Gatsby has entered the public domain! The beloved novel, The Great Gatsby, written by Fitzgerald was published in 1925. The novel has been read by millions of readers over the years. Blake Hazard, the great-granddaughter of Fitzgerald, speaks about the estate’s views on copyright protection “We’re just very grateful to have had it under copyright, not just for the rather obvious benefits, but to try and safeguard the text, to guide certain projects and try to avoid unfortunate ones. We’re now looking to a new period and trying to view it with enthusiasm, knowing some exciting things may come.”
The novel’s copyright expired at the beginning of 2021. Now anyone can publish the book, create a sequel, prequel, or otherwise adapt it without obtaining permission. As Hazard points out, this may lead to some exciting and unexpected works.
While Fitzgerald passed away in 1940, the work was overseen by the estate and protected under copyright law until this year. Prior to 1998, copyrights generally expired after 75 years, but in 1998, Congress extended copyright protection to 95 years for works that gave proper notice and published the work between 1923 and 1977. As with many classic novels in the public domain, you may find The Great Gatsby for sale at a cheaper price point or even free for digital download!
Article by Sharrissa Stratton