On January 1, 2024, after almost a century of copyright protection, Mickey Mouse, or at least a version of Mickey Mouse, will enter the United States public domain. The first movies in which the iconic mouse appeared – Steamboat Willie and the silent version of Plane Crazy – were made in 1928, and works from that year went into the public domain in the US on New Year’s Day 2024. (Note that this article is only about US law. Outside of the US, it appears that Steamboat Willie is also in the public domain in some countries, while it remains copyrighted in others.) The public domain has had some famous recent arrivals, but this is the most anticipated entry yet …
Jennifer Jenkins, Mickey, Disney, and the Public Domain: A Ninety-Five-Year Love Triangle, 54 International Society of Barristers Quarterly 29-48 (2024).
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