Starting today, January 1, Disney will lose the rights to the Mickey Mouse character, which it fought for decades to maintain exclusive ownership of, and the character will become public property, nearly 100 years after the character’s first appearance in the animated film. Steamboat Willie (1928), Walt Disney’s first short film.
Mickey Mouse is not just a cartoon character, but he is one of the most famous cultural symbols in America. He is used in cultural propaganda to boost morale during wars, and as a means of political propaganda for presidents.
According to the Intellectual Property Law of Loyola University Chicago Law School, the copyright on this character was scheduled to expire in 1984, but in the 1970s, Disney succeeded in extending the period for another 20 years by lobbying for a new law, known as the Copyright 1976.
After 20 years had passed, and with the expiration of the previous period approaching, Disney pressed for an extension again, and the Copyright Act of 1998 was issued, known as the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act,” which is the copyright protection law that is still in effect, and according to which rights expire. Disney exclusive to the original Mickey Mouse character on January 1, 2024.
Fans in New Mexico greet Mickey Mouse on November 14, 1978 during his fiftieth birthday celebration (Associated Press)
The Mickey Mouse we don’t know
There are differences between Mickey Mouse in 1928 and the Mickey that is known and circulated today. The old version of the famous cartoon character has long, thin legs and exaggeratedly large shoes, and his eyes are small, black, and without pupils.
A Disney spokesman told CNN that the modern version of Mickey will not be affected by the expiration of copyright, and all related products, stories and films are still the property of Disney, adding, “We will continue to protect our rights to the newer versions of Mickey Mouse and the rest.” Our famous characters are against unauthorized use by the consumer.
It cannot be used even though the rights have expired
From a legal standpoint, anyone after January 1, 2024 can reproduce a copy of Mickey Mouse without obtaining permission from Disney, which is known for being very careful about copyright, and this has been demonstrated several times, as Disney prevented construction workers from The bear carved “Winnie the Pooh” on a child’s gravestone in 2007, and the company also forced a California elementary school to pay $250 for an unauthorized showing of The Lion King in 2020. In 1989, Disney filed a lawsuit against the Oscars over… Unauthorized screening of “Snow White.”
Therefore, even though Disney’s rights have expired, using the Mickey Mouse character in any way that suggests he belongs to any brand other than Disney is still illegal.
Mickey Mouse was used as cultural propaganda to boost morale during wars and as a means of political propaganda for presidents (Reuters)
Mickey Mouse is neither the first nor the last
This is not the first time that a Disney character has entered the public domain. Disney recently lost the rights to Winnie the Pooh, and the yellow bear appeared for the first time in a non-Disney film, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Pooh: Blood & Honey is a British independent horror film featuring characters such as Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, the little pink pig. The lazy yellow bear appeared in this film with a terrifying, murderous personality seeking revenge.
Although the film was severely criticized for transforming a gentle, quiet character into a brutal killer, it aroused the interest and curiosity of Disney fans and horror film fans around the world, causing the film’s revenues to rise to $5.2 million, despite the film’s budget estimated at only $100,000.
There is still a second part of the film that will be presented this year, starring other Disney characters that have entered the public domain, such as Bambi and Peter Pan. “Winnie the Pooh” also appeared in 2023 in a video game known as “Winnie Hole,” which is a two-dimensional game, in which players embody a virus. He tries to control Winnie and overpower him.
So far, Mickey Mouse has not been exposed to what Winnie the Pooh was exposed to, but no one knows what the new year has in store for the little mouse.
