TLDR: Disney loses rights to early Mickey Mouse as ‘Steamboat Willie’ enters public domain in 2024, sparking new creative possibilities.
This article is a summary of a You Tube video “Disney loses famous Mickey Mouse copyright in 2024, along with many others” by CBS News
Key Takeaways:
- Copyright Expiration: Copyright protections on numerous well-known works, including “Steamboat Willie,” are expiring.
- Public Domain Access: These works, including Mickey Mouse’s debut in “Steamboat Willie,” will enter the public domain.
- Disney’s Loss of Control: Disney will lose exclusive rights to control these characters and works.
- Previous Extensions: Disney previously influenced Congress to pass extensions, but these are now expiring.
- Impact on Creativity: The public domain access allows for new creative uses and reinterpretations of these works.
- Limitations on Use: Only the original versions (e.g., Steamboat Willie’s Mickey) will be public domain, not the later renditions.
- Consumer Misleading Prohibition: New works using these characters cannot mislead consumers into thinking they are Disney-sponsored.
- Examples of Public Domain Impact: The release of “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” demonstrates the diverse use of public domain characters.
- Disney’s Use of Public Domain: Disney’s history of adapting public domain works into successful movies.
- Future Public Domain Entries: Other characters and works, like Donald Duck, Superman, and Batman, are also set to enter the public domain soon.
