When it comes to selling products on Etsy, it’s illegal to utilize another brand’s intellectual property without their permission. And while many people get away with it, it's a bit like speeding in a school zone. Just because they’re doing it, it doesn’t mean it’s legal, nor does it mean that they’ll never get caught. And getting caught can lead to some costly repercussions, like losing your shop, or worse - getting sued. So in today’s video, I’ll be sharing a few popular themes and characters that exist within the public domain, meaning that as a seller, you can legally utilize them without the risk of getting in legal trouble. For those who are new here, my name is Starla Moore - founder of the Handmade Alpha Academy for Etsy sellers and manager at erank.com, Etsy's most popular SEO tool. And as someone who has taught within the Etsy space for over 12 years now,

the case of copyright and trademark infringement is one that has caused quite a stir among artists and sellers. For more videos about this topic, as well as rules and laws related to copyright, be sure to check out this playlist up here. But for now, we're going to be focusing on iconic characters that have already fallen into the public domain, meaning that their copyright has officially expired. Copyright protection lasts for the creator or author's life plus 70 years. If the work was created by multiple people, the term lasts for 70 years after the last surviving creator's death. Afterwards, the piece of intellectual property will fall into the public domain on January first of the following year. Let’s look at a few pieces of IP that have already fallen into the public domain as of 2024 and are safe for use on products, designs, and inspiration. I won’t be including Steamboat Willie

in this list because I already have a whole video dedicated to his release into the public domain. Lewis Carroll’s original book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, was written in 1865 - man, can you believe that - and entered the public domain in 1907. This means that any original illustrations and quotes can be used commercially for products in your shop - however. These illustrations must be from the original book, not from Disney's 1951 classic that we all know and love. So when depicting these characters, be sure to steer clear of anything that could potentially be tied to the version of Alice in Wonderland that we all likely recognize from childhood. The iconic 1900 children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, entered the public domain in 1956, making its art and quotes fair game for sellers and artists to utilize. However, The Wizard of Oz film starring Judy Garland is not in the public domain and has

distinct differences from the original book - so be sure to pick up an original copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to make sure your designs fall within the realm of legal inspiration. With the recent release of Disney's The Little Mermaid reboot, mermaids are more popular than ever this year. And luckily, the original story of The Little Mermaid story by Hans Christian Andersen is in the public domain. But it's extremely important to note that Disney's version of the story is completely different, with the original little mermaid being a nameless creature with none of the iconic ocean friends that we recognize today. So you’ll need to stick to the classic concepts and illustrations, as opposed to our recognizable cartoon friends. The Brothers Grimm are known for their famous retellings of classic German folklore, most of which exist within the public domain. These include the original stories of Rapunzel,

Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Little Red Riding Hood. Though many of these iconic fairytales are vastly different from our childhood favorites and may lean more on the side of horror than bedtime stories. For example, in Cinderella, the evil stepsisters cut off their toes in an effort to fit the prince's glass slipper. In the original version of Snow White, the evil queen is made to put her feet in red hot iron shoes and dance until she dropped dead. So just be sure to do your research before making these Brother’s Grimm versions for your next nursery prints of baby shower gifts. The story of Aladdin is a Middle Eastern folktale originating from The Arabian Nights, or One Thousand and One Nights, which was a set of stories compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. The most surprising thing about the original story of “Aladdin And The

Wonderful Lamp” is that the story actually takes place in China, with Aladdin being described not as an orphan - but as a lazy boy living at home with his mother. Interesting. The artwork from the original story is beautiful and carries its own unique charm, making it an interesting target for possible product ideas and inspiration. A newer addition to the public domain as of 2023 was the addition of Disney’s “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit”. I may be a little too young for this one. Oswald is considered to be one of Disney’s very first characters, coming even before Mickey and Minnie, and he was featured in 27 individual short films. Of those, a total of 7 have entered the public domain, meaning you’ll need to double-check that any imagery you use was created before 1928. In 2022, the original novel of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie also entered the

public domain. The original book is rich with artwork that is now safe for use, with the obvious disclaimer that anything tied to Disney’s 1953 is clearly off limits. Unless you want to get sued and sentenced to never ever land. In 2022, the original bare naked version of Winnie the Pooh also entered the public domain, along with Tigger, Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, and the Hundred Acre Wood. This release quickly led to a horror film adaptation of the beloved character, as well as tons of merchandise tying to the original stories. When planning your products, just remember that Pooh’s iconic red shirt is specifically used in Disney’s version. Not in the original stories. So all Pooh-related creations must remain nakey. Felix Salten’s Bambi, A Life in the Woods, entered the public domain in 2022,

making it a great subject for woodland-themed shops or children's decor. What you may not know is that Bambi was actually inspired by World War I and was not intended for children. The original story was described to be, “a study of the loneliness of Jews and the precariousness of their lives throughout the world. In Salten’s version of Bambi, the fawn grows up in a forest where hunters kill deer and other animals for their pleasure. Most of Bambi’s relatives and friends are killed. It is a parable of the way Jews and other minorities were treated as inferior and dangerous beings who deserved to be annihilated.”

Regardless of its dark origins, all artwork and quotes from the original book are now safe for use by business owners and crafters. With Christmas right around the corner, you may be excited to learn that Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is now part of the public domain. There are obviously many iconic retellings of Dicken’s original story, including children’s books, movies, and plays. So just make sure that you’re taking inspiration from the original story when creating holiday-themed products, and you should be safe. For those selling products related to horror and Halloween, characters like Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Phantom of the Opera, and Frankenstein are all in the public domain. It’s also interesting to note that the original movie, The Bride of Frankenstein, is also in the public domain, meaning that you can safely use stills from the movie for product inspiration.

With so many modern adaptations of each of these classic horror stories, it may be best to create your own unique versions when possible, just to be safe. Lastly, as of 2023, all of Sir Arthur Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories are in the public domain. This took place after a longstanding battle with the estate of the author, which frequently attempted to impose licensing fees on anyone who tried to utilize the iconic character. The last attempted case took place in 2020, meaning that all original art, book covers, and quotes are now free to be used by the public. That’s it for this video, but I did want to quickly share an exciting announcement. On September 26th, I’ll be headlining Amplified by Printify, the world’s first and only online event for print on demand business owners. Normally this online event costs $5, but if you use the code AMPSTARLA at checkout,

you can bypass the checkout system in order to get free access to the stream, Q&As, and opportunities to win tons of prizes. I may even be giving away some eRank expert plans. Wink. I can’t wink. To sign up with your 100% discount, you can head over to printify.com/amplified, or click the link up here, and down below. Because free is the best price. Until next time, Pookie.

Legally SELL These Public Domain Characters on Etsy Products!

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