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Anonymous works are works, such as
Anonymous works are works, such as art
Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...
or literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
, that have an anonymous
Anonymous may refer to:
* Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown
** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author
* Anonym ...
, undisclosed, or unknown creator or author. In the case of very old works, the author's name may simply be lost over the course of history and time. There are a number of reasons anonymous works arise.
Legal definitions
United States
In theUnited States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, anonymous work is legally defined as "a work on the copies or phonorecord A phonorecord is defined by the United States Copyright Act of 1976 to be a material object that embodies sounds (other than those accompanying audio-visual recordings such as movies).
From the Copyright Act: “Phonorecords” are material object ...
s of which no natural person
In jurisprudence, a natural person (also physical person in some Commonwealth countries, or natural entity) is a person (in legal meaning, i.e., one who has its own legal personality) that is an individual human being, distinguished from the br ...
is identified as author
In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...
."
Historical Backgrounds
Throughout much of human history, individual authorship was not emphasized as it is today. In ancient and medieval societies, creative works were often seen as communal or sacred contributions rather than personal expressions. For example, epic poems like Beowulf and religious texts were transmitted orally or collectively authored, making the original creator difficult to identify. During the Victorian era, many women writers adopted male or gender-neutral pseudonyms to circumvent prevailing gender biases and gain literary recognition.Reasons
Creators may choose to remain anonymous for a variety of reasons: * Political safety: Authors, artists, or activists may conceal their identity to avoid political persecution, censorship, or retaliation. * Social and cultural norms: Certain eras or societies valued humility or communal authorship, encouraging anonymity. * Artistic intent: Some artists intentionally avoid personal recognition to focus the audience's attention on the work itself rather than the creator. * Legal or contractual limitations: In some cases, anonymity provides protection in creative markets, helping artists balance privacy and transparency.Notable anonymous works
Numerous influential works throughout history are considered anonymous. Examples include: * Literature: Beowulf and The Arabian Nights, both attributed to unknown authors. * Art: Many medieval religious artworks and some contemporary street art, such as works attributed to Banksy.Anonymous works in the digital age
The rise of the internet has encouraged anonymity among modern creators. Writers, artists, and musicians increasingly use pseudonyms or anonymous accounts to protect privacy or express ideas without personal attribution.Legal considerations
In copyright law, anonymous works are treated differently than works with known authors. According to the U.S. Copyright Office, anonymous works are protected for 95 years from the year of first publication or 120 years from creation, whichever expires first. More broadly, anonymous speech raises fundamental questions at the intersection of literature, law, and politics, influencing debates over freedom of expression and accountability.Cultural impact
Anonymous works have significantly influenced cultural traditions and collective memory. By lacking a known creator, these works often take on a broader, universal significance, allowing more varied interpretation across audiences.See also
*Anonymous post
alt=screenshot of 4chan's interface, an anonymous post on _b_.html" ;"title="4chan's /b/">4chan's /b/ imageboard
An anonymous post, is an entry on a textboard, anonymous bulletin board system, or other discussion forums like Internet forum, wit ...
* List of anonymously published works
Throughout the history of literature, since the creation of bound texts in the forms of books and codices, various works have been published and written anonymously, often due to their political or controversial nature, or merely for the purpose ...
* List of works published under a pseudonym
This is a list of pen names used by notable authors of written work. A pen name or ''nom de plume'' is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author' name more distinctive, to disguise the author's gender, to distanc ...
* List of anonymous masters
In art history, an anonymous master is an Old Master whose work is known, but whose name is lost.
Renaissance
Only in the Renaissance did individual artists in Western Europe acquire personalities known by their peers (some listed by Vasari in hi ...
* Notname
In art history, a (, "name of necessity" or "contingency name") is an invented name given to an artist whose identity has been lost. The practice arose from the need to give such artists and their typically untitled or generically titled works a ...
References
Intellectual property law Publishing {{law-term-stub Literary theory