Disney is set to lose its copyright over the widely loved and coveted character Mickey Mouse in 2024, when it is set to enter public domain.
The character enjoyed copyright protection for almost 95 years since 1928, when it first made an appearance in the black and white cartoon film ‘Steamboat Willie’. The film was a pioneer in the field of animation cinematography as it was the first to make use of synchronized sound, where movements of the characters on the screen synchronizes with music and sound effects, now a widely recognized style of animation.
It is this first iteration of Mickey Mouse, which has a marked rat-like appearance that will lose its copyright. The subsequent variations of the modern Mickey will still retain the copyright for a period of 95 years.
Thus, if an individual wants to make use of the Mickey Mouse character when it enters into public domain, they must make sure it is the Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse. The copyright expiration also has certain limits, the character can be used by the public, but if it is used in a way that can be affiliated to Disney it could lead to serious legal consequences.
Trademark law is another dimension to the issue as trademarks are permanent. Disney still maintains trademarks on catchphrases and signature outfits, like Winnie the Pooh’s red shirt which has been avoided in the making of a film by Rhys Waterfield that stars Winnie the Pooh and Piglet as characters in much darker themes.
Mickey Mouse is the face of Disney, appearing in countless manners in all the works released by the company. It is entirely predictable that they will try their best to protect their rights to the character.
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