Iconic character freed of copyright
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 Centre for the Study of Public Domain.
US law allows a copyright to be held for 95 years after Congress expanded it several times during Mickey’s life.
Current artists and creators will be able to make use of Mickey, but with major limits.
Disney will still holds a trademark on Mickey as a corporate mascot and brand identifier. Anyone starting a film company or a theme park will not be free to make mouse ears their logo.
Another famous animal sidekick, Tigger, will join his friend Winnie the Pooh in the public domain as the book in which the bouncing tiger first appeared, The House at Pooh Corner, turns 96.
Pooh, probably the most celebrated prior character to become public property, took on that status two years ago when AA Milne’s original Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain, resulting in some truly novel uses, including this year’s horror film Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey.