The animated film “Steamboat Willie“, released in 1928 and directed by Walt Disney, will enter the public domain on January 1 and, with it, the original versions of Minnie and Mickey Mouse, reported the international press.
The expiration of the copyright of the original versions of two of the most iconic characters in film and television means that They will be available for use by cartoonists, filmmakers, authors and anyone who wants to use them and which, until now, had been restricted by Disney’s frequent use of litigation to stop copyright infringement.
“Willie’s Steamboat” It launched Mickey and Minnie Mouse to fame when it premiered in 1928. It was one of the first cartoons to feature synchronized sound and became one of the most popular of its time.
The expiration of copyright 95 years after the release of the iconic short film is an important symbolic milestone since, according to the specialized site Variety, Mickey Mouse has long been an icon in the copyright wars.
Nevertheless, They clarified that later versions of Mickey and Minnie, who appeared in numerous Disney movies and shows over the years, are still under copyright, and Disney informed the Associated Press that Mickey “will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company.”
Winnie-the-Pooh will also be free to the public
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Other works that will enter the public domain in 2024 include “Pooh’s corner”, the Winnie-the-Pooh book in which Tigger first appeared, making the character free to use for the first time.
In recent years, works such as the book “Winnie-the-Pooh”, “The Great Gatsby” and the final Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle were also released giving rise to projects such as “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” , a horror film starring the lovable bear with a sequel in development, and Netflix’s “Enola Holmes,” among others.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse were scheduled to enter the public domain in 1984, but the Copyright Act of 1976, enacted by Congress, extended the terms of all that copyright to 75 years, postponing the expiration of “Steamboat Willie” until 2004. In 1998, Congress passed another law, later dubbed the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act,” which extended the life of copyright for another 20 years, and the 95-year rule is still in effect today.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
