Short answer
Bride of Frankenstein (1935) is not in the public domain. Universal registered it in 1935 and renewed the copyright, so it stays protected in the U.S. through December 31, 2030 and enters the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2031.
Why 2031
The Library of Congress record lists the copyright as “Universal Pictures Corp. 26Apr35; LP5500” and notes it was renewed in 1962. A renewed 1935 copyright lasts 95 years to the end of the calendar year: 1935 + 95 = 2030. (Library of Congress; 17 U.S.C. §305; Cornell chart)
The first film is different. Frankenstein (1931) enters the U.S. public domain four years earlier, on January 1, 2027.
Common questions
Is Bride of Frankenstein in the public domain?
No. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) was registered on April 26, 1935 and renewed in 1962, so it is protected in the U.S. through December 31, 2030.
When does Bride of Frankenstein enter the public domain?
January 1, 2031, in the United States. Even then, only the 1935 film becomes free; Universal’s trademarks are a separate matter.
Can I use the Bride’s look when Frankenstein (1931) enters the public domain in 2027?
No. The Bride first appears in the 1935 film, which stays protected until January 1, 2031. The 1931 film entering the public domain does not free anything that first appeared in a later film.
Is the Bride in Mary Shelley’s novel?
The novel, published in 1818 and free to use, has Victor Frankenstein begin a female companion for the creature and then destroy her before she is finished. Your own version drawn from the novel is fine; the 1935 film’s design is not free yet.
Read more
- Elsa Lanchester played Mary Shelley and the Bride
- Is Frankenstein (1931) public domain?
- Issue No. 1: what you can (and can’t) use from Dracula and Frankenstein
- Mary Shelley’s 1831 Frankenstein introduction
- Frankenstein (1931): the casting, the cuts and the censors
- Everything entering the public domain in 2027
General information, not legal advice. U.S. law only; status can depend on publication and renewal facts and differs by country. Talk to a lawyer before commercial use. Last checked November 1, 2026.
Sources
- Library of Congress, The Bride of Frankenstein (1935): “Copyright: Universal Pictures Corp. 26Apr35; LP5500,” renewed 1962
- AFI Catalog, Bride of Frankenstein
- 17 U.S.C. §305 and the Cornell public domain chart
- Project Gutenberg, Frankenstein (1818 text)