The Mickey Mouse character first appeared in the short film Steamboat Willie, an animation that is widely regarded as the moment that transformed Disney’s fortunes and made film history. The characters from this iconic film are now available to the general public in the United States, as Disney’s copyright has expired.
This means that creators such as cartoonists can now transform and use the original versions of Mickey and Minnie without permission or cost. However, Disney has warned that modern versions of Mickey are still protected by intellectual property rights.
The characters from the short film Steamboat Willie entered the public domain this Monday, January 1, 2024, allowing for legal sharing, interpretation, reuse, readaptation, and republication of the original versions of Mickey and Minnie.
Other works entering the public domain this year in the United States include Charlie Chaplin’s “The Circus,” AA Milne’s “The House at Pooh Corner,” “Orlando” by Virginia Woolf, and “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” by DH Lawrence.
This milestone is considered to be “deeply symbolic and long-awaited” as it marks the first time in almost a century that these iconic characters are available for public use.
Disney maintains the trademark of Mickey as a corporate identifier and mascot, meaning that there are still limits to how the public can use these iconic images to ensure there is no consumer confusion caused by unauthorized use.
The expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright also raises concerns about how the characters might be adapted or used in the future, with some speculating that someone might attempt to adapt Mickey and Minnie into entirely new genres or narratives.
Despite these changes, Disney assured that more modern versions of Mickey will continue unaffected by the expiration of Steamboat Willie’s copyright, and Mickey will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company in stories, theme park attractions, and merchandise.
The company added that they will work to protect themselves from consumer confusion caused by unauthorized use of Mickey and other iconic characters.