This specifically refers to the 1928 cartoon “Steamboat Willie”, which features the earliest versions of Mickey and Minnie themselves. This cartoon is considered one of the first success stories of the “Disney” studio, which entered the history of cartoons forever.
As of today, January 1, 2024, the said cartoon is out of copyright, so the two famous mice in their earliest versions are now publicly available to everyone.
This means that artists can now recycle and use versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse from Steamboat Willie. More precisely, any person may legally use these versions without permission or payment.
Video: 1928 cartoon “Steamboat Willie”
However, “Disney” warns that younger versions of Mickey and Minnie are still subject to copyright.
“We will, of course, continue to protect our rights to more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that are still in copyright,” the company said.
Under US copyright law, rights to images can be retained for 95 years.
Starting today, one of the classics of Charlie Chaplin’s silent cinema – the romantic comedy “Circus” – has also become publicly available.
Disney has faced losing the copyright to its original animated films several times in the past.
For example, when Winnie the Pooh was released recently, it was turned into the horror film Blood and Honey, which became one of the worst-rated films of the year.
Video: Winnie the Pooh horror movie trailer (2023)
It was expected that already in 1984, the characters of Mickey and Minnie would become publicly available, however, the US Congress extended this term by 20 years. Another 20-year extension was passed in 2004.
2024-01-01 17:17:35
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