For over 95 years, Disney has owned copyright protection over Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie. This beloved movie was made in 1928 and is seen as the beginning of a variety of classic Disney movies. This version of Mickey Mouse was one of the first versions of Mickey, made by Walt Disney. As of January 1st, 2024, this version of Mickey Mouse has entered the United States public domain.
Although the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse is in the public domain, newer versions of Mickey Mouse are still not to be copyrighted until its rights expire. Being entered into the public domain for Mickey, means that people can now change the story, and create their own twists, or versions of it. This is exactly what a Canadian director decided to do.
On January 1st, a trailer was released for this new take on Mickey Mouse. This rendition will be a horror movie. It will take place at a retro-looking party place, and will be about friends celebrating a birthday when a person gets possessed by none other than Mickey Mouse, who murders them. In early 2023, a movie like this one was released about Winnie the Pooh called Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. It was made right after this beloved bear’s rights entered the public domain.
“It is a bedrock principle of copyright, that once work enters the public domain, it cannot be appropriated as private (intellectual) property, and even the most creative of legal theories cannot trump this tenet,” Conan Doyle Estates said, according to law.duke.edu. They expressed this when their beloved characters Sherlock Holmes, and Dr. Watson’s rights entered the public domain. They fought, but unfortunately could not keep the rights of their loved characters.
Mickey Mouse will not be the only character’s rights being released, as there will be more in the upcoming decade. Characters like Donald, James Bond, The Hobbit, and even some of our favorite superheroes Batman and Superman.
After this, Disney announced that they would work harder than ever to maintain the rights to the newer version of Mickey Mouse that we know today. Companies are not allowed to do what they want with these newer versions. Disney is known to fight for its property. A daycare was once asked to get rid of a Minnie Mouse mural. Disney has made sure to alter the looks of Mickey Mouse over the years, including giving him different styles of clothes and changing his face a bit.
No matter what, Mickey Mouse will always be a beloved character from many people’s childhood. This character will continue to be loved by future generations, and will create many remarkable memories.
