Interesting article in The Guardian about James Bond entering the public domain in 2035, a mere 10 years from now. I guess I never realized how close this is. Heck, Eon has only managed to make a single (terrible) Bond film in the last 10 years. Maybe this is why Babs decided to cash out. Of course, I'm sure Amazon is aware of this, right? Right??? Anyway, click the headline or the image below to have a read.
From 1 January 2035, those bold enough to look to exploit “book Bond” would still be able to use the character and famous traits such as his “The name’s Bond, James Bond” motto, driving an Aston Martin, and ordering his martinis “shaken, not stirred”. But care would need to be taken not to have Bond drink Bollinger – 007’s go-to champagne in the films – as Fleming’s paper spy was a Taittinger man.
UPDATE: I'm not sure this article has their facts right. The 70 years after the author's death rule applies to works created after 1978. Casino Royale (1953) would fall under the rule of 95 years after publication, if the work was renewed during its 28th year (1981). I would be surprised if it wasn't renewed. That pushes it to 2048.
