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”.
The character and plots of the original literary works by creator Ian Fleming become open for public use in most countries in 2035, raising the prospect of Bond starring in rival film and TV stories of espionage, comedy or even horror.
Amazon may have captured James Bond, paying billions to get creative control of the super spy, but a clock is now ticking that means 007 – or at least a version of him – could escape into the wider world in a decade’s time.
Bond is one of a host of Hollywood heroes with looming or past copyright dates – including Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse – prompting an ideas arms race between those looking to cash in on newly available global brands and rights holders creating spin-off intellectual property that remains protected.
Getting hold of the fifth most valuable franchise of all time was a major motivation for Amazon’s $8.5bn purchase of the Hollywood studio MGM, which jointly owned the rights alongside Eon Productions, in 2021, the year the last Bond film hit cinemas.
