When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of works is not uniform. The following lists list creators whose works entered the public domain in 2025 under the most common copyright regimes.

In most countries of Africa and Asia, as well as Belarus, Bolivia and New Zealand, a work enters the public domain 50 years after the creator's death.

In Bangladesh, Haiti, India, and Venezuela a work enters the public domain 60 years after the creator's death.

Except for Belarus (Life + 50 years) and Spain (which has a copyright term of Life + 80 years for creators that died before 1988), a work enters the public domain in Europe 70 years after the creator's death, if it was published during the creator's lifetime. The same term applies in much of South America, and parts of western Africa. As such, the works of all authors who died in 1954 entered the European public domain in 2025.

Two of the most important authors whose works entered the European public domain in 2025 were Henri Matisse, one of the most revolutionary artists of the early 20th century and a key figure in multiple art movements; and Frida Kahlo, arguably the most recognized Mexican painter. At this time, the latter's works remained copyrighted in her native country. Other significant examples of authors whose works entered the public domain included actor and film director Lionel Barrymore (already partially public domain in his native United States), architects Auguste Perret and William Van Alen (the respective designers of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and the Chrysler Building in New York City), cartoonists Bud Fisher and George McManus, Italian composers Franco Alfano and Achille Longo, German composers Walter Braunfels and Herms Niel, Austrian composer Fred Raymond, American composers Charles Ives and Arthur Johnston (the latter of whom wrote "Cocktails for Two"), Man with a Movie Camera director Dziga Vertov, founding father of Chinese cinema Zhang Shichuan (already public domain in his native China), French painters André Derain and Jacques Gachot [fr], Portuguese sculptor Maximiano Alves, gospel blues musician Washington Phillips, Lost Horizon author James Hilton, British novelist Francis Brett Young, Gigi author Colette, German author of the Dr. Mabuse novels Norbert Jacques, German writer and filmmaker Thea von Harbou, Italian writer Enrico Cavacchioli [it], American novelist Maxwell Bodenheim, and Australian writer Miles Franklin. Spanish writer Jacinto Benavente's works also entered the public domain in European countries other than his native Spain. The publications of mathematicians Gino Loria and Alan Turing and physicist Enrico Fermi also entered the public domain, along with an experimental film by the inventor of the cinematograph, Auguste Lumière.

Spain has a copyright term of life + 80 years for creators that died before 1987. In Colombia and Equatorial Guinea, a work enters the public domain 80 years after the creator's death.

Russia has a copyright term of life + 70 years in general, with two special provisions:

1954 marks the first large wave of posthumous rehabilitations.