Mickey Mouse, one of the most beloved characters of all time, is set to become public domain in 2024. However, it’s a bit of a complicated situation as only the earliest form of Mickey from Steamboat Willie will be able to be used by artists and creators outside of Disney in a very restricted way.
Speaking to The Associated Press, a Disney spokesperson detailed exactly what it means when the copyright for the Steamboat Willie film expires.
“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,” a Disney spokesperson said. “That will not change when the copyright in the Steamboat Willie film expires.
“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.”
While this copyright may be up, Disney still holds the trademark on Mickey as a “corporate mascot and brand identifier.” Furthermore, creators will not be able to produce any work that deceptively fools consumers that their Mickey is in anyway affiliated with Disney as the company will “work to safeguard against consumer confusion cause by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters.”
Mickey made his big screen debut in Steamboat Willie in 1928, and U.S. law says a copyright can be held for 95 years. This means 2024 will be the year that particular copyright will expire. Disney and some other companies fought hard to keep their IP out of public domain, and they all worked with congress to extend their copyrights by 20 years.
In addition to Mickey, Winnie the Pooh’s Tigger will also become public domain next year as he first appeared in A.A. Milne’s The House in Pooh Corner in 1928. Wasting no time, Tigger will appear in the horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 as it is set to be relased in theaters on February 2024.
For more on Mickey, be sure to check out our retrospective on The Walt Disney Company and the story of how Mickey Mouse created in celebration of Disney’s 100th anniversary this year.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
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