← Back to u/rgii55447

Nancy Drew in Europe

So I know the first few books of Nancy Drew are in the Public Domain in the U.S., but I was wondering what her status is in Europe. According to Wikipedia, the Ghost writer of the earliest Nancy Drew books, Mildred Wirt/Benson lived until 2002, meaning in countries with life + 70 years, none of the early Nancy Drew books would be Public Domain until 2073. But it seems that many countries in Europe (excluding Germany) have a shorter-term clause, the legal language is confusing to me, but from what I understand, it seems to indicate that foreign works become Public Domain when they become Public Domain in their country of origin.

My main concern is that I'm heavily considering moving to Europe, and I'm not sure if I should reconsider writing a Nancy Drew book if it's not going to be Public Domain compliant in the country I'm residing. Plus, the story takes place in a specific world I've created, and I don't want to lock up some very important lore-building behind another person's copyright that won't expire for almost 50 years. It seems like a fun idea to incorporate Nancy Drew into this world, and I'd like to continue to explore it if possible, but I don't want to limit my European prospects if I'm hoping to start a new life there.