Short answer
Universal’s Dracula (1931), directed by Tod Browning, is still under copyright in the United States until the end of 2026. It enters the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2027. Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel is already free.
Why January 1, 2027
The film was registered for copyright on February 2, 1931, and Universal renewed it in December 1958. A renewed 1931 copyright lasts 95 years and runs to the end of the calendar year: 1931 + 95 = 2026, so it ends December 31, 2026. (Catalog of Copyright Entries, 1958; 17 U.S.C. §305; Cornell chart)
Common questions
Is Dracula (1931) in the public domain?
Not yet in the U.S. Universal registered the film on February 2, 1931 and renewed it in 1958, so it is protected through December 31, 2026 and enters the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2027.
Is the Dracula novel public domain?
Yes. Bram Stoker’s novel was published in 1897 and is free to read and adapt. Project Gutenberg has the full text.
What becomes free on January 1, 2027?
The 1931 English-language film as released: its footage, images and original soundtrack. There is no original score; the opening theme is Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, which was already free.
What stays protected after 2027?
The DRACULA trademark Universal holds for goods like posters, paper goods, T-shirts and toys; the Philip Glass score written in 1998; and sequels like Dracula’s Daughter (1936). A video essay is a different use from a “DRACULA” product line.
Can I make a video essay with clips from Dracula (1931)?
Starting January 1, 2027, the 1931 film itself is free to use in the U.S., including in a video essay. Skip the Glass score, don’t sell merchandise under the DRACULA name, and don’t AI-generate a new Lugosi performance. Copying from a disc with copy protection raises a separate issue under 17 U.S.C. §1201.
Read more
- Issue No. 1: what you can (and can’t) use from Dracula and Frankenstein
- Three Dracula myths that won’t stay dead
- Dracula’s original name was Count Wampyr
- Why Dracula never speaks in Prince of Darkness
- The Spanish Drácula (1931), shot at night on the same sets
- Why Universal moved Dracula off Friday the 13th
- Is Nosferatu public domain?
- 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
- Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures 1958 (renewals): “DRACULA … © 2Feb31; LP1947 … R227698”
- 17 U.S.C. §305 and the Cornell public domain chart
- Wikipedia, “Dracula (1931 English-language film)”
- DRACULA trademark, Reg. 4042239 and Universal’s 2026 opposition (TTAB)
- Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox (2003)
- 17 U.S.C. §1201
- Project Gutenberg, Dracula by Bram Stoker
Public Domain 2027 · Next: Is Frankenstein (1931) public domain?