Beginning on Jan. 1, 2024, the earliest form of Mickey Mouse, one of the most iconic characters in American media, will enter the public domain.
The iteration of Mickey Mouse as seen in the 1928 cartoon “Steamboat Mickey” will outlive its 95-year copyright protection under U.S. law. This means that no permission will be needed from Disney to copy or use the 1928 Mickey and that it can be the basis of new creative work.
The original Mickey Mouse design was originally going to be made publically available in 2004; however, the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act added on 20 years to copyright protection, creating the existing 95-year protection as opposed to the previous 75-year protection.
The act was nicknamed the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act” due to media companies including Disney lobbying in favor of the act.
Other major creative works to recently enter public domain include Winnie the Pooh, which became available in 2022, spawning the 2023 horror movie “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.” With the Winnie the Pooh spinoff currently sitting at a 3% critic score on rotten tomatoes, we can only wait and see what will become of Mickey Mouse.
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