Sherlock Holmes became as of January 1, completely in the public domainas soon as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s latest original work on this legendary character is released, Sherlock Holmes Casebook.

Copyright is not elementary, my dear Watson, but as of yesterday it will be much easier for Sherlock Holmes to continue to survive through other creators. The expiration of the copyright on Doyle’s latest work ends a protracted legal debate. The heirs to his immense fortune have argued for decades that although Sherlock Holmes’ early works were in the public domain, the fact that Doyle’s later books were not meant to be. the character still remained “locked up” in Leon’s copyright.

It must be said that the first Sherlock Holmes novel, Study in Scarlett, was published in 1887 and was not in the public domain until January 1, 1981, over a hundred years. However, in 1995, an amendment to the US Copyright Act was passed and the detective was shut down again. Once Case book has passed into the public domain, this argument is moot.

Now anyone could write their own Sherlock Holmes stories or use the character in other types of content without fear of infringement. And that’s it public domain contributes to global cultural heritage and allows anyone to republish, remix, or remake the works without permission from the rights holder. This will only happen long after the original author is dead, as in this case, and should end the torturous legal debates about how copyright law should treat this legendary figure. Including active lawsuits like the one filed against Netflix for its spin-off Enola Holmes.

And for this time next year, watch out for another even more relevant copyright case to arrive, as it will be nothing less than Mickey Mouse, which happens to be in the public domain. For years, Disney has lobbied to expand its rights, and the company will likely use every tool at its disposal to expand its control over intellectual property.

Protecting content is logical and must be done for creators to survive, but for centuries and once a character has made billions of dollars? And in relation to the Internet, what can I tell you. Criticism continues to be voiced against the latest copyright directives, which have introduced new filters, barriers and restrictions.

We’ll see what happens with Sherlock Holmes released yesterday and Mickey Mouse next year. Virtue is always in balance. Basic dear Watson!