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Why Are People Joking About Mickey Mouse Becoming Public Domain? The Character's Upcoming Copyright Expiration Explained
A monumental copyright is due to expire at the turn of the new year, as Mickey Mouse, the longtime mascot of Disney, is set to enter the public domain.
Does this mean that soon we will see ill-fated Mickey Mouse horror movies, a la Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey? An indie video game that sees the Mouse chasing down players in a haunted theme park, a la Slenderman? It's quite possible It sure does. Here's what's going on with the expiration of Mickey Mouse's copyright.
Why Is Mickey Mouse Entering Public Domain?
The first iteration of Mickey Mouse was the animated short Steamboat Willie, released in 1928. Because copyright laws extend for 95 years, the version of Mickey Mouse seen in Steamboat Willie will enter the public domain on January 1st, 2024, allowing anyone to use that iteration of the character from the short for commercial purposes.
Of course, for most people alive today, "Steamboat Willie" Mickey, the black-and-white original that has since been iterated on in hundreds of films, shorts and other merchandise, bears little resemblance to the Mickey Mouse we know today. Nevertheless, it's a watershed moment for copyright law, as Mickey Mouse was long seen as the chief symbol of unending copyrights due to Disney lobbying for an extension to their trademark over the character in 1998.
Some expected that Disney might lobby the government again as the 2024 deadline approached, but that doesn't seem to have been the case.
"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."
What Is Going To Happen With Mickey Mouse In The Public Domain?
Some experts believe that the first iterations of public domain Mickey Mouse will be horror satires, a la other infamous parody works like Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. However, not everyone is so sure Disney is simply going to let anyone do whatever they want with Mickey Mouse.
For starters, it's only Steamboat Willie Mickey that will enter the public domain. That means the character will likely not be able to speak in his "now iconic voice" in any non-Disney work. Fortune anticipates that "character traits" of Mickey Mouse are a legal grey area that will become an issue for courts to settle in the coming years.
Furthermore, while "Steamboat Willie Mickey" is nearly public domain, Disney's trademark on the character will not expire. This means that Mickey remains a symbol of Disney, so any merchandise created with Mickey in mind cannot give the illusion of being an official Disney product — this means a company can't simply slap Mickey's iconic ears on their logo.
Basically, what will happen once Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse becomes public domain remains to be seen. It also remains to be seen how the infamously litigious Disney will respond with their mascot out in the world for anyone to use.
For more information, check out the Mickey Mouse enters public domain entry on Know Your Meme.
