Have you heard of Popeye the Sailor? He is a strong cartoon hero who loves spinach! On Jan 1 this year, Popeye and many other old characters became free for everyone to use. Now, anyone can make their own cartoons with Popeye!
你听说过大力水手吗？他可是个力大无穷的动画人物，最爱吃菠菜啦！今年 1 月 1 日起，大力水手和其他许多老角色开始免费供大家使用。现在，任何人都可以用大力水手制作自己的动画片！
1、cartoon /kɑːˈtuːn/ n. 漫画；动画片
例句：I like watching cartoons on Saturday mornings.
我喜欢在周六早上看动画片。——《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》
Why did this happen? In the US, creative works like cartoons, books, or movies are protected by law for 95 years. After that, they become “free” for everyone. This is called “copyright expiration”. Popeye’s copyright ended this year. In 2025, other famous characters and books also become free to use, such as Tintin, a brave reporter from the comic book series The Adventures of Tintin, and Ernest Hemingway’s book A Farewell to Arms (《永别了，武器》).
为什么会出现这种情况？在美国，漫画、书籍或电影等创意作品受法律保护的期限为 95 年。在此之后，这些作品对所有人都是 “免费”的。这就是所谓的 “版权到期”。大力水手的版权已经于今年到期。2025 年，还有不少经典作品都会开放版权，像是系列漫画《丁丁历险记》中勇敢的记者丁丁，以及海明威的著作《永别了，武器》。
2. expiration /ˌekspɪˈreɪʃn/ n. 期满；终止（专升本词汇）
例句：The expiration of the contract is next month.
合同下个月到期。——《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》
3. copyright /ˈkɒpiraɪt/ n. 版权；著作权
例句：The copyright of this book belongs to the author.
这本书的版权属于作者。——《剑桥高阶英汉双解词典》
When works become free, artists can use them to make new stories without asking. US writer Gregory Maguire’s book Wicked (《魔法坏女巫》) is a good example. It is based on the famous book series The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (《绿野仙踪》). If the series weren’t free for use, we wouldn’t have the amazing book and the movie Wicked.
IP一旦版权到期，艺术家就可以直接拿来创作新故事。美国作家格雷戈里·马奎尔的作品《魔法坏女巫》就是一个很好的例子。它是基于著名的《绿野仙踪》系列小说进行创作的。要是这套书没法免费使用，就不会有《魔法坏女巫》这本精彩绝伦的书，也不会有同名电影了。
4. series /ˈsɪəriːz/ n. 系列；连续
例句：This is a series of science fiction novels.
这是一系列科幻小说。——《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》
What is IP? Intellectual property is what people create, like inventions, art and designs used in business. Patents, copyrights and trademarks are different types of IP. Copyrights cover new works like books and songs. Patents are for inventions, such as machines. Trademarks are words or designs, like brand names. Protecting IP keeps creativity “safe”.
什么是知识产权（IP）？知识产权（IP）是指人们创造的东西，例如商业用途的发明、艺术和设计。专利、版权和商标是知识产权的不同类型。版权涵盖书籍和歌曲等新作品。专利则适用于像是机器之类的发明。商标是指文字或设计，例如品牌名称。保护知识产权就是保持创造力的“安全”。
5. intellectual /ˌɪntəˈlektʃuəl/ adj. 智力的；脑力的
例句：He is a man of high intellectual ability.
他是一个智力很高的人。——《朗文当代高级英语辞典》
6. property /ˈprɒpəti/ n. 财产；所有物；房产（专升本词汇）
例句：The rich man has a lot of property.
这个富人有很多财产。——《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》
7. invention /ɪnˈvenʃn/ n. 发明；创造（专升本词汇）
例句：The invention of the computer has changed the world.
计算机的发明改变了世界。——《剑桥高阶英汉双解词典》
8. patent /ˈpeɪtnt/ n. 专利；专利证书
例句：He got a patent for his new invention.
他为他的新发明获得了专利。——《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》
9. trademark /ˈtreɪdmɑːk/ n. 商标
例句：The trademark of this brand is very famous.
这个品牌的商标很有名。——《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》
10. creativity /ˌkriːeɪˈtɪvəti/ n. 创造力；创造性（专升本词汇）
例句：Teachers should encourage students' creativity.
教师应该鼓励学生的创造力。——《朗文当代高级英语辞典》
