Topic: Public Domain

Steamboat Willie, the original version of Mickey Mouse, enters the public domain on January 1, 2024. The discussion transitions to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, noting snubs of artists like Cher, Sonny Bono, and Ted Nugent. The hosts contrast the modern HBO-produced ceremony with the private, unrehearsed jam sessions held at the Waldorf Astoria in the late 1980s.

The No Agenda community expressed concern for long-time artist Kenny Ben, who has been hospitalized for over a week. The hosts reviewed recent artwork submissions, including the "Pfizer Pops" by Parker Pauly and "Post-it Notes" by Nessworks. Additionally, the Smithsonian Institution has launched "Smithsonian Open Access," a consolidated platform allowing users to search and reuse over 3 million 2D and 3D digital items from its collections without prior permission.

The hosts discuss why they avoid using imagery from Disney or Paramount in show artwork due to aggressive legal departments. They note that while "Steamboat Willie" is entering the public domain, the legal costs of defending parodies against Disney make it an unattractive option for producers.

The hosts explain that while modern dictionaries are protected by copyright, older editions like a 100-year-old Oxford English Dictionary are in the public domain and can be used freely. The Jill Abramson controversy is framed as a case of media peers "hounding" her due to personal resentment rather than a major ethical breach. The analysis posits that the internet itself is a "copy machine" built on technical copyright violations.

The discussion turns to why people keep computers longer than they did in the 1980s, leading to more frequent hardware failures. John C. Dvorak praises the indestructible nature of the Nokia E71 and argues that abandoned operating systems like Symbian should be released into the public domain.

"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was proposed as a strong contender for a new national anthem due to its militaristic sound and public domain status. Other songs like "God Bless America" are ruled out because their estates strictly enforce copyrights, making them too expensive for public use. The discussion concluded with a call for listener suggestions for a song that captures the "American spirit" without the vocal difficulties of the current anthem.

The hosts thank artist Joshua for his "No Agenda train tanker" submission but issue a warning regarding the use of stolen art. They explain that contributors cannot simply take existing copyrighted images and add the show's logo without significant modification. They encourage artists to use public domain materials or original creations to avoid legal complications for the program.

WikiLeaks releases a chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) focused on intellectual property and internet freedoms. The hosts argue this is a "red herring" designed to distract activists with copyright debates while more significant energy and trade deals remain secret. They discuss the history of copyright terms and the influence of the Disney corporation on legislation.

A C-SPAN clip is highlighted where a speaker suggests that Dwight Eisenhower had concerns about himself being a "communist in the making." The hosts categorize this as a funny gaffe and discuss the nuances of C-SPAN's copyright, noting that while congressional testimony is public domain, their produced specials are not.

The hosts discuss creating "Barony certificates" to divide the world into No Agenda territories, which will eventually enter the public domain. A listener, Dr. John Calvin Jones, reports a successful "karma call" that resulted in a high-paying teaching position at Mississippi Valley State University. The hosts celebrate the perceived effectiveness of the "karma" phenomenon among the audience.

The hosts reiterate that No Agenda is a completely open-source project. They encourage listeners to copy the show, broadcast it on pirate radio, or create their own websites using the name, as they have intentionally avoided trademarking the brand. They argue this decentralized approach is more powerful than the traditional corporate or PBS models.

A discussion on Aldous Huxley's Brave New World suggests the book's vision of a society controlled by entertainment and drugs is more accurate to the present day than Orwell's 1984. The hosts then pivot to a job posting for a Director of Corporate Sponsorship at NPR, noting that the public broadcaster's sales goals and agency relationships mirror those of commercial networks like CBS or Clear Channel.

YouTube has removed over 6,400 clips from the "C-SPAN Junkie" channel, which featured footage of Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geithner, and Ron Paul. While C-SPAN claims copyright on its produced programming, its policy states that government-produced video of House and Senate proceedings is in the public domain. The takedowns are suspected to be politically motivated or a result of trademark disputes over the "C-SPAN" name.

The extension of copyright terms in the United States, often attributed to lobbying by Disney and the late Sonny Bono, has significantly hindered the availability of 20th-century art in the public domain. This legal landscape makes it difficult for educators and authors to reproduce works by artists like Picasso without expensive licensing fees.

Public libraries frequently hold book sales to manage shelf space and clear out donated or older volumes, offering large reference sets and antique cookbooks for minimal prices. Collectors often seek out pre-1950s cookbooks for their unique household tips and historical perspective on domestic life. These sales serve as a primary source for building personal libraries of coffee table books and specialized reference materials.