For the first time since he first appeared on screen in 1928, Mickey Mouse has become public domain, meaning the popular cartoon character could soon be popping up in projects that aren’t owned by Walt Disney Co.
The famous mouse first made his appearance in the cartoon short film Steamboat Willie and quickly grew in popularity, becoming the iconic character for Walt Disney.
Mickey Mouse has long been a part of Disney’s branding in its movies, TV, and amusement parks. If Disney is creating something, chances are the mouse’s ears will be seen somewhere nearby.
However, copyright over the iconic cartoon character is now coming to an end, as Mickey Mouse has become public domain.
The initial copyright for Mickey Mouse was set to expire in 1984, but almost a decade before, in 1976, Disney fought to extend protections. After lobbying the United States government, a law was passed to allow owners to retain their copyright protections for the duration of the life of the author, along with an additional 50 years.
But the company didn’t stop there, as in 1998, Disney again lobbied lawmakers to extend copyright protections to the life of the author plus 70 years, for a maximum of 95 years.
While the company was able to push protections for Mickey Mouse to almost a century, the copyright officially expired in January 2024.
This means anyone in the US can now use the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse without any copyright infringement.
Artists are already getting their hands on the cartoon, as a trailer for a Mickey Mouse horror film has already been released. Others have started editing the original footage from Steamboat Willie to make the mouse use profanity.
Still, some versions of Mickey Mouse, like the modern version with the iconic red shorts and big eyes, remain protected.
“We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright,” Disney said in a statement shared with the Associated Press.