Earliest Versions of Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Minnie to Enter Public Domain in 2024

[The Deadman]

https://time.com/6498261/mickey-mouse-disney-copyright-public-domain-minnie-tigger/

M-I-C-K-E-Y will soon belong to you and me.

With several asterisks, qualification and caveats, Mickey Mouse in his earliest form will be the leader of the band of characters, films and books that will become public domain as the year turns to 2024.

In a moment many close observers thought might never come, at least one version of the quintessential piece of intellectual property and perhaps the most iconic character in American pop culture will be free from Disney’s copyright as his first screen release, the 1928 short Steamboat Willie, featuring both Mickey and Minnie Mouse, becomes available for public use.

“This is it. This is Mickey Mouse. This is exciting because it’s kind of symbolic," said Jennifer Jenkins, a professor of law and director of Duke’s Center for the Study of Public Domain, who writes an annual Jan. 1 column for “Public Domain Day.” ”I kind of feel like the pipe on the steamboat, like expelling smoke. It’s so exciting.”

U.S. law allows a copyright to be held for 95 years after Congress expanded it several times during Mickey’s life.

“It’s sometimes derisively referred to as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act,” Jenkins said. “That’s oversimplified because it wasn’t just Disney that was pushing for term extension. It was a whole group of copyright holders whose works were set to go into the public domain soon, who benefited greatly from the 20 years of extra protection.”

“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 in a statement to The Associated Press. “That will not change when the copyright in the Steamboat Willie film expires.”

Current artists and creators will be able to make use of Mickey, but with major limits. It is only the more mischievous, rat-like, non-speaking boat captain in Steamboat Willie that has become public.

“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,” Disney’s statement said.

[oldmanwinters]

With every passing year, a few more of the iconic "Mickey" characteristics will follow "Steamboat" Mick into the public domain too. The 2020s should be a fun decade to see how this plays out.

Wish we were also getting Superman and Batman in the public domain, but we'll have to wait another decade for them!

[Bahamut810]

I really wish they would limit the amount of time to enter public domain rather then expand it.

[Coola Yagami]

So..... how long before the live-action horror movie about Steamboat Willie running around killing and eating people?

[The Deadman]

So..... how long before the live-action horror movie about Steamboat Willie running around killing and eating people?

Make it happen, Id watch.

[neatoman]

Weirdly enough, some people even seem to be gearing up for it. This game is set to release in 2025 and while no explicit connection to Mickey Mouse is made, the character design is clearly meant to invoke old Mickey Mouse cartoons and I would no be surprised in Mickey himself turns out to be in the game.
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[neatoman]

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Not sure if this about the future prospects or not but it could be.

[sdp]

People were still in denial this year, especially when Disney released that Steamboat willy tribute episode and people were saying nonsense about it like that was the way Disney would extend their copyright. Hell I got blocked just this week by asking someone to provide a source to their claim that Disney had lobbied but failed to extend copyright. It's like stockholm syndrome or something.

It was similar here on the drome were people had to be constantly told about copyright, most of the time neatoman doing the dirty work.
http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=60749
Never happening. Copyright law keeps changing to keep Mickey tied to Disney. It will happen again.

I mean nothing is going to change much, just like there aren't tons of Cinderella shows and movies. People still care for the Disney version. Now that people realize that Mickey can be public domain, people can start to digest that superman/batman will be in the next few years. There are people who don't want that to happen because public domain movies will ruin batman..lol as if DC hasn't already done that themselves.
I actually think public domain laws will be changed so works start becoming public domain quicker, perhaps 50 years after the authors death or whatever, it won't be retroactive most likely but the governmet is starting to see that having public domain stuff available for the internet is far better for the economy that protecting it for so many years.

[Coola Yagami]

People were still in denial this year, especially when Disney released that Steamboat willy tribute episode and people were saying nonsense about it like that was the way Disney would extend their copyright. Hell I got blocked just this week by asking someone to provide a source to their claim that Disney had lobbied but failed to extend copyright. It's like stockholm syndrome or something.



It's just weird. These people must be lifeless losers addicted to just consuming media regardless of quality.

Like, I grew up with Disney like everyone else. I loved Pinocchio, Snow White, Aladdin, I guess Wreck-It Ralph works, Ducktales and some of the classic Mickey/Donald/Goofy cartoons and such. Yeah, if Disney went away, I'd feel kinda nostalgic for it since something I grew up with during my childhood is now gone... but like.... I'd quickly switch to 'oh well' and move on with my day.

It's like the Simpsons. Like em or hate em, they've been around so long you're kinda used to 'they'll always be around' that when they go, yeah I will be shocked. Maybe nostalgic and slightly sad. But then it'll turn go 'oh well' and carry on with my day.

But these wackjobs that seem to be fighting tooth and nail to protect these soulless corporations that literally DO. NOT. CARE about them and only want their money. Get a life. If Disney goes down, how does that in any way directly affect you? Is your mortgage payment amount suddenly gonna double or something? Move on.

[Wildcat]

It’s just stupid that a lot of people want to make violent versions of these characters like that mouse game and Winnie the Pooh.

I’m not against violent entertainment but these fan works just want attention. They think they’re being cool and edgy.

Make something cute and funny. Make a sequel to Steamboat Willie. Be creative.

I knew there would be caveats. Unless you’re fine making something completely free and just for fun it’s not even worth it. Create your own characters.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/legal-battles-loom-first-mickey-013134441.html
The stage is set, atm it's the 1928-1939 character design of both Mickey and Minnie and 3 animation shorts. This prepared suit will determine the trajectory of the shorts in the following years. The color shorts we are more familiar with did not start until 1935 however.

I'm still confused by all of this. So Disney's not losing all of Mickey but the early design of him and a few shorts? You'd think they'd try to hold on to everything of their mascot.

[IMJ]

I'm still confused by all of this. So Disney's not losing all of Mickey but the early design of him and a few shorts? You'd think they'd try to hold on to everything of their mascot.

This is basically how intellectual property law works. It was formed to be this way because back in the day there were not many, if any 100+ year old organizations still using their I.P. and the fact is that this process actually helps ideas remain as part of culture.

The easiest, easiest way to assimilate this process into understanding is to assign it to something that you commonly see day to day. For example, Barnes and Noble has a really cool collection of books that are all classics and printed with matching art direction and spines, etc. Sometimes hardcover, sometimes a fake leather bound book. Dracula, Frankenstein, Dante's Inferno. Many of them aren't "licensed" because they are "public domain" - you can now do with them as you please, therefore keeping this material available through an array of offerings.

But this applies only to that iteration that has entered the public domain - for example, while people will be able to do things with "Steamboat Willie" they can't yet use the traditional Mickey, colored black and red. But now they can use "Steamboat Willie" in that setting and that art direction, that plot, etc. And you are right - Disney will do everything it can to retain the original Steamboat Willie under ownership by way of other I.P. stamps - copyrights, things like that. So people who publish "Steamboat Willie" material will have to be careful of what they use under fair use as well.

To be honest, aside from the novelty of it, it's not like "Steamboat Willie" is the backbone of all Disney entertainment or has that much interesting content to begin with. And soon other properties like Superman and Batman will be subject to this as well.

[MikeandRaph87]

I'm still confused by all of this. So Disney's not losing all of Mickey but the early design of him and a few shorts? You'd think they'd try to hold on to everything of their mascot.

There will be a trickle each year as the Mickey Mouse shorts each hit the magic number. Next year 12 more will hit expiration so this court case will be a test ahead of the public domain being altered or put Disney through a series of measures to protect it and see what might happen with the Looney Tunes and DC characters in the
coming decade.

[IMJ]

so this court case will be a test ahead of the public domain being altered

They better not alter it.... Otherwise that would mean that the good law of public domain failed at the first super-organization's challenge which, in addition to diminishing public power, would also demonstrate that more and more we are moving towards super-organizations policing of society.

And aside from the social implications of that, there are artistic reasons too. The story of "The Night Before Christmas" couldn't have been adapted for the Bill Murray movie without these allowances. Stories that we have seen re-imagined in the animation that we love here on the boards - there are all sorts of "fair use" and "public domain" adaptations that actually go on to solidify the timeless and perfect natures of these properties in culture.

"Fair use" and ""public domain" are sister-concepts and really need to be supported as-is. Any challenge to that by a super-organization should be rallied against.

[Coola Yagami]

They better not alter it.... Otherwise that would mean that the good law of public domain failed at the first super-organization's challenge which, in addition to diminishing public power, would also demonstrate that more and more we are moving towards super-organizations policing of society.

And aside from the social implications of that, there are artistic reasons too. The story of "The Night Before Christmas" couldn't have been adapted for the Bill Murray movie without these allowances. Stories that we have seen re-imagined in the animation that we love here on the boards - there are all sorts of "fair use" and "public domain" adaptations that actually go on to solidify the timeless and perfect natures of these properties in culture.

"Fair use" and ""public domain" are sister-concepts and really need to be supported as-is. Any challenge to that by a super-organization should be rallied against.

I mean... the majority of Disney's animated movie catalog are all stories taken from elsewhere. They abuse 'fair use' and 'public domain' like it's going out of style.

[sdp]

Disney is going to play it safe and not be too aggressive I think. They knew they wouldn't get more time so they didn't even bother to lobby. They know the bad PR that would come out of it would outweigh any gains of keeping the copyright for a another decade or two.
They'll try to restructure the brand to more modern depictions of Mickey so they can market that. Not to mention Disney makes doesn't actually make money from Mickey Mouse movies or cartoons. It's more of merchandise that they make. Just how people want to buy their version of Cinderella and whatnot.

It's defintiely going to be interesting to see how companies react. I'm sure people are going to be using tons of Mickey Mouse stuff of more modern takes and who knows how Disney will handle it. Same when Batman/Superman become public domain, because even if Mickey didn't have a pink face, would judges even agree with Disney that they can own a color of their character? I doubt it, but who would be willing to face the cease and desists that might come with it? I'm pretty sure someone will and when someone does it's game over for Disney/DC etc. So they'll try to be subtle on how they protect their IP, they won't want to go to court.

I say this because the Burroughs estate is super aggressive with their trademarks and illegally bully small creators and companies into not using public domain characters, like Tarzan. Even Disney decided it was better to pay them, not because they didn't think they could win but because it would set a bad precedence to Mickey Mouse eventually. But Dynamite comics got into trouble for their John Carter and Tarzan books despite not infringing anything. They ended up paying the Burroughs estate also and their reasoning was that they offered it so cheaply that it was easier to be in their "good grace" than to go bankrupt fighting a battle.

There was a company named Bleem in the 90s who went bankrupt fighting their right to have built a Playstation emulator. they won and it as a huge win for emulators but the company didn't survive. So yeah no one is going to spend tons of money to win the right to use Tarzan so the Burroughs estate has been able to get away with it all these years. But with big names like Mickey/Superman/Batman, I think if Disney or WB get aggressive someone or some company with actual deep pockets will call them out for it and I doubt the courts would see their way. So yeah, I think they'll try to be subtle in how they let people use public domain.

[neatoman]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GCtUqnIWwAAxakx?format=jpg&name=medium

[TigerClaw]

It was only a matter of time, and a video game developer just released a trailer for a new Horror game called Infestation 88, And guess what it features? a twisted version of Steamboat Willy.

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[IndigoErth]

I await the Mickey/Black Plague movie.

[TigerClaw]

Someone made a horror comedy called Mickey's Mouse Trap, Here's the trailer.

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[neatoman]

Someone made a horror comedy called Mickey's Mouse Trap, Here's the trailer.

BO_yCuaXsGQ

In case anyone was wondering, I did watch Blood and Honey. It was a terrible movie, in nearly every conceivable way, but I suspected it was going to be going in and even if I didn't, I still think I would have been indifferent to the actual quality. I get the feeling this will be the same, it's probably going to suck but I know this isn't the end-all-be-all for public domain characters, so at worst, it will only annoy me on the same level as an original project with no expectations.

[triplexxx]

In case anyone was wondering, I did watch Blood and Honey. It was a terrible movie, in nearly every conceivable way, but I suspected it was going to be going in and even if I didn't, I still think I would have been indifferent to the actual quality. I get the feeling this will be the same, it's probably going to suck but I know this isn't the end-all-be-all for public domain characters, so at worst, it will only annoy me on the same level as an original project with no expectations.Yeah, so why bother, then? Why contribute to box office gains for this sick trash they've been dealing out lately, just to satisfy morbid curiosity? Plan on checking out that upcoming Blood & Honey sequel as well? Frankly, I'd rather sit through 36 straight hours of NC-17 porno than look at one more picture of this crap posted on the web anywhere. It's like the people making this crap are looking to have a mob hit put on them, and ain't no public domain or copyright laws going to protect them from that, that's for sure.

[neatoman]

Yeah, so why bother, then? Why contribute to box office gains for this sick trash they've been dealing out lately, just to satisfy morbid curiosity? Plan on checking out that upcoming Blood & Honey sequel as well? Frankly, I'd rather sit through 36 straight hours of NC-17 porno than look at one more picture of this crap posted on the web anywhere. It's like the people making this crap are looking to have a mob hit put on them, and ain't no public domain or copyright laws going to protect them from that, that's for sure.

While I'm pretty sure you're just shitposting, I might as well answer this earnestly.

Morbid curiosity, yes, but I am also open to be pleasantly surprised when my instincts tell me this will suck and it turns out not to. I go to plenty of movies I suspect are going to be bad and sometimes I do get surprised. Makes me wonder, is it better or worse than going into a movie expecting it to be good and get disappointing? You tell me.

[triplexxx]

While I'm pretty sure you're just shitposting, I might as well answer this earnestly.

Morbid curiosity, yes, but I am also open to be pleasantly surprised when my instincts tell me this will suck and it turns out not to. I go to plenty of movies I suspect are going to be bad and sometimes I do get surprised. Makes me wonder, is it better or worse than going into a movie expecting it to be good and get disappointing? You tell me.Disappointing I could handle. Nauseating? Not likely.

[neatoman]

Disappointing I could handle. Nauseating? Not likely.

I have a pretty high threshold for that. Anyway, here's what the creator of Earthworm Jim added to this, first time I see someone of (kinda sorta) higher profile doing something with Mickey Mouse's recent public domain status. Spoilered because it might seem offensive to someone.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GCz76omW8AAkMZ6?format=jpg&name=large

[The Deadman]

Yeah, so why bother, then? Why contribute to box office gains for this sick trash they've been dealing out lately, just to satisfy morbid curiosity? Plan on checking out that upcoming Blood & Honey sequel as well? Frankly, I'd rather sit through 36 straight hours of NC-17 porno than look at one more picture of this crap posted on the web anywhere. It's like the people making this crap are looking to have a mob hit put on them, and ain't no public domain or copyright laws going to protect them from that, that's for sure.

These kinds of movies are made so we can laugh at them. It's not going worldwide in theaters and it's made for a quick buck. I probably will see Blood and Honey 2 because I somewhat enjoyed the first one, as bad as it was.

[Allio]

Guess I’ll need to throw my own hand into the steamboat Willie horror story. I think I can come up with a good idea.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Imagine if the old American copyright laws were still around. We chould've had works from 1967.

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2021/pre-1976/

[neatoman]

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[ZariusTwo]

asUguOAJawU

[Mayhem]

Most of these are still in breach of what has occurred. Only the cartoon and the cartoon imagery is now in the public domain. So that's the image of Mickey without gloves and Minnie as it turns out, and Pete. You can't call anything you show using those image representations as Mickey or Minnie etc, you can't use the name of the cartoons either, they are all trademarked. And Disney will ALWAYS have the trademarks. I think a bunch of people are going to find the shock of Disney lawyers slapping them in the next few months as a result because they've misunderstood what is now available for use.

It's the same reason Winnie the Pooh in a red shirt is still Disney owned, but naked Winnie is perfectly usuable.

[neatoman]

asUguOAJawU

Anyone up for Adult Swim dedicating an entire show to Mickey?

[ZariusTwo]

Similarly, the original Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse arrived in the public domain with much fanfare in 2024. In 2025, a dozen more Mickey animations will follow suit — including The Karnival Kid, in which he speaks for the first time.

"His very first words are 'Hot dogs! Hot dogs!' — so I guess that's kind of cute," Jenkins says. "And then he didn't wear the white gloves in 1928, but next year, in 2025, we get the version of Mickey Mouse with the signature white gloves in the public domain."

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/26/nx-s1-5231543/copyright-public-domain-2025-cartoon-popeye-tintin-faulkner-hemingway

[neatoman]

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/26/nx-s1-5231543/copyright-public-domain-2025-cartoon-popeye-tintin-faulkner-hemingway

Let's have a little fun here, do you know which is the 100th Mickey Mouse short and when will it enter the public domain?
It's Mickey's Trailer and it will enter the public domain in 2034. Yes, they really used to make about 10 of these every year.

[sdp]

I remember being called an idiot for saying there was nothing Disney could do from stopping Mickey becoming public domain. Same type of people who told me I was an idiot for saying physical media was dead. Same type of people who told I was an idiot for buying Bitcoin at $50.

Why are people so afraid of change and can't cope with the fact that the world is going in a direction that scares them ?

[LeotheLateBloomer]

Hey Disney, you want to spend your money some more?

[ZariusTwo]

Mickey vs Winnie Slasher movie announced

https://deadline.com/2024/05/mickey-vs-winnie-glen-douglas-packard-direct-horror-slasher-mickey-mouse-winnie-the-pooh-1235901354/