The confirmation is official! A particular version of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse will enter the public domain on January 1st, 2024!
Getting the iconic rodent free of Disney’s clutches has been a struggle. However, KTSM reports that the copyright on Mickey Mouse’s likeness in 1928’s Steamboat Willie is done.
Now, does this mean you can do absolutely anything with the black-and-white whistling mouse? No. Although Disney did concede in this case, the company will maintain a protective eye on how Mickey Mouse is used in the public domain.
To clarify what this means to you and me, a representative for the Walt Disney Company had this to say:
“More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright, and Mickey will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company in our storytelling, theme park attractions, and merchandise.“
“We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright.“
With this landmark moment, Disney will have a tough time protecting Mickey’s various incarnations that are reaching, if not already passed, the 95-year copyright limit allowed by U.S. law.
Misuse of Mickey could lead to legal action as the company “will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters.”
I cannot use Steamboat Willie as the mascot of my Disney-inspired adults-only theme park. No, the mouse will not be featured in front of Phallic Phalin’s Phunland.
To celebrate, here are some Steamboat Willie images courtesy of Bing AI!
Considering Mickey Mouse didn’t speak in the original Steamboat Willie short, he probably cannot be used with a voice similar to his later shorts or the modern interpretation of the character. It will be interesting to see how many cease-and-desist letters Disney sends out starting next year!
[Source: KTSM]
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