ABSTRACT
In my article Who Framed Mickey Mouse I argue that The Walt Disney Company’s role in copyright term extension in 1998 – although real and substantial – has been seriously exaggerated by opponents of copyright term extension. In this shorter piece I wanted to explicate on a related point, which is the degree to which the focus on the copyright status of Mickey Mouse has resulted in a copyright policy debate unusually focused on the copyright status of older works, especially a few high-profile ones like Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie. Meanwhile, the actual copyright policy debates of 2024 are much more about compensating current creators – especially as it becomes harder and harder for ordinary creators to earn a living through commercialization of their work. In that way the focus on Mickey Mouse creates a useful smokescreen for those intermediaries which profit from ubiquitous and underlicensed exploitation of the work of creators.
Rosen, Zvi S, The Steamboat Willie Smokescreen (November 1, 2024).
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