Each year on January 1st, we celebrate Public Domain Day — the moment when copyright expires on a new wave of creative works, making them freely available for everyone. This opens up a treasure chest of images, texts, films, and music, now ready for reuse on platforms like Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, and Wikipedia.
But this year, we’re doing something new.
Introducing: Wiki Loves Public Domain!
To spotlight the importance of the public domain and the fresh creative possibilities it brings, we’re excited to launch the very first edition of Wiki Loves Public Domain (WLPD). This new initiative invites the Wikimedia community and cultural heritage partners to help unlock and showcase newly public domain works on our platforms.
What will WLPD look like? That’s up to all of us. We want to shape this project together — with your ideas, your skills, and your curiosity. The only thing that is already defined is the timing. The project will take place from the 1st of October until the 31st of December.
What Can You Do?
We’re imagining a range of engaging activities to kick things off, such as:
- ✍️ Writing or improving Wikipedia biographies of creators who died in 1955, whose work will enter the public domain on 1 January 2026.
- 📷 Uploading images and other media from creators who died in 1954, whose work became public domain on 1 January 2025.
- 🔍 Curating lists, metadata, or Wikidata entries for newly available works.
And that’s just the beginning. Whether you’re a seasoned Wikimedian, a librarian, or a fan of free knowledge, there’s a role for you to play.
A Cross-Border Collaboration
Wiki Loves Public Domain is a collaborative effort between Wikimedia Nederland, Wikimedia Belgium, Wikimedia France, and a strong network of cultural institutions — including meemoo, the National Library of the Netherlands and Open Nederland. Together, we’re building an international movement to highlight and preserve our shared cultural heritage.
Want to Help?
We’re currently looking for volunteers and contributors to help with:
- Designing and maintaining the WLPD project page
- Creating worklists of public domain creators
- Promoting the initiative through blogs and social media
- Organizing online or in-person events
- Uploading media to Wikimedia Commons
Interested in being part of this effort? Reach out to Michelle van Lanschot at vanlanschot@wikimedia.nl.
Let’s make the public domain more visible — together. Want to take part or read more? Check the project page.
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