Kenny Malone

So much.

Do you want to explain why you have an affinity for Betty Boop?

Betty Boop debuted in this cartoon in 1930, 95 years ago, which means as of January 1st, the copyright has expired.

Anyone is allowed to use this version of Betty Boop for anything.

This version, by the way, literally a dog-person hybrid?

which is very weird and would not always be this way, but, like, yes, this version from 1930 is now in the public domain.

And the reason I knew this is because every year, Jennifer Jenkins helps put out a list of all the famous books and songs and cartoons entering the public domain.

And that, that is my first Valentine, to Jennifer's annual list of newly liberated intellectual property, the Public Domain Day list, where...

you will learn that the copyright has now expired on the book, The Maltese Falcon, the song, Georgia On My Mind, the Academy Award winning film, All Quiet on the Western Front.

And yes, Betty Boop and her iconic catchphrase.

Although Jennifer has noted something odd about what we've written on her Valentine.

Yes.

We're going to get to that in a second.

Because first, the reason I wanted to give a Valentine to this list is because it feels like all of these works are now flooding into the public domain in a somewhat novel way.

And that is because for 20 years leading up to 2019, basically nothing entered the public domain.

Legislators, with lobbying from Disney, kept extending the length of copyright.

And I mean, and you can find out about it from my Valentine, the public, the public domain day list from Jennifer Jenkins.

Ah, yes.

The boop, boop, a question mark.

Happy Valentine's Day and welcome to Planet Money.