The earlier version of Mickey Mouse is about to become public domain after nearly 100 years since it originated.
On Jan. 1, 2024, Disney will no longer have the copyright to the 1928 short “Steamboat Willie,” which features a version of both Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the Associated Press reported.
As of January 1st, 2024, the early, rudimentary version of Mickey Mouse that first appeared in 1928’s Steamboat Willie will enter the public domain: https://t.co/PHGgH3gLHd pic.twitter.com/QZ7xX9U05m
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) December 15, 2023
Tigger will also be bouncing his way into the public domain in the new year, joining the honey-loving bear Winnie the Pooh who is already free from copyright.
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The bear was given the horror treatment in this year’s independent slasher film “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” with a sequel already slated for next year.
The current law allows copyright to be held for 95 years.
Since the 70s, Disney has successfully lobbied to extend copyright limits with the latest occurring in 1998, with the extension being given the nickname of the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act” per Business Insider.
Disney does not appear to be worried, based on a statement sent to The New York Times.
Will copyright protections be a problem for Disney in the future?
“Ever since Mickey Mouse’s first appearance in the 1928 short film ‘Steamboat Willie,’ people have associated the character with Disney’s stories, experiences and authentic products,” the Disney statement read.
“That will not change when the copyright in the ‘Steamboat Willie’ film expires.”
The statement continued, “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, and we will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters.”
While the 1928 version of the iconic mouse is entering into the public domain, Disney still holds a trademark for using Mickey as its corporate mascot and brand identifier, as reported by AP.
So if someone wants to use the “Steamboat Willie” version of the mouse, they should use caution as the trademark “forbids using the character deceptively to fool consumers into thinking a product is from the original creator.”
One video game publisher is attempting to clearly push those boundaries with a new upcoming video game called “Mouse” that strongly echoes “Steamboat Willie” and its aesthetics:
WARNING: The following clip contains cartoon violence that some viewers may find disturbing
You’ve got to see this early gameplay trailer from Mouse, described by as “a gritty and noir-fueled first-person shooter that draws inspiration from classic cartoons of the 1930s.” pic.twitter.com/eiTImYYd0a
— IGN (@IGN) December 12, 2023
Despite the potential for mass litigation, Jennifer Jenkins, a professor of law and director of Duke’s Center for the Study of Public Domain, is excited about the mouse entering the public domain.
“This is it. This is Mickey Mouse,” Jenkins stated. “This is exciting because it’s kind of symbolic.”
”I kind of feel like the pipe on the steamboat, like expelling smoke. It’s so exciting,” she added.
