By 2022, the original Winnie-the-Pooh book entered into the public domain in the United States, since it had been 95 years since the story was first published. While Disney retains certain rights to their derivative works, the company no longer holds exclusive rights to the characters in the US.
The first Winnie-The-Pooh book is entering the public domain in the USA in 2022 (works from 1926 enter this date), but would Disney still own the rights to the characters until 2026? No. Disney won't own the characters after 2022; they will own their version of the characters, and for much longer than until 2026.
Although Disney still owns the rights to the animated cartoon versions of Pooh Bear and company, A.A. Milne's 1926 book Winnie-the-Pooh entered the public domain on Jan. 1, 2022.
Disney's decision not to sue Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey shows how significant the movie is and challenges their reputation for protecting their intellectual property.
Disney acquired the copyright to Winnie the Pooh books and its characters in 1961. The characters first appeared in books by A.A. Milne in 1926, and under the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, a company's copyright is protected for 95 years after its first publication.
This is because copyright has only expired for A.A. Milne's original story which features a 'Winnie-the-Pooh' character markedly different to the modern 'Winnie the Pooh' we are used to seeing today – and that portrait of Winnie is owned by Disney.
For Pooh and his friends (except Tigger), the applicable 95-year term expired in January 2022 (for Tigger it's January 2024). Winnie-the-Pooh is now part of the public domain and the original work — the story, the setting, the characters, etc. — can be used by anyone for virtually any purpose.
Disney first bought the rights to the Winnie the Pooh characters in the 1960's and has since been paying twice-yearly royalties to beneficiaries of the will of A. A. Milne, who created the characters. It will now pay the lump sum for the rights to Winnie until the copyright expires in 2026, the paper said.
In 1928, copyrights lasted for 28 years, with the option for renewal of another 28 years. As of 2023, Mickey Mouse was published almost 95 years ago. The copyright of the original Mickey Mouse character – as it appeared in “Steamboat Willie” – expires on January 1, 2024.
Despite being one of the most prominent characters in the source material, Tigger wasn't a part of the original Blood and Honey. The reason, as writer/director Rhys Frake-Waterfield told us earlier this year, was that Tigger wasn't a part of the public domain when the first movie was in production.
In 1961, Walt Disney Productions licensed certain film and other rights to the Winnie-the-Pooh characters, stories and trademarks from Stephen Slesinger, Inc. and the estate of A. A. Milne. and made a series of animated films about him.
In 2002, Forbes ranked Winnie-the-Pooh as the most valuable fictional character. Later, in 2005 Winnie-the-Pooh generated $6 billion, a figure only surpassed by Mickey Mouse. The net-worth of AA Milne is unknown. However, analysts believe the Winnie-the-Pooh franchise to be worth $3bn-$6bn.
In January 2024, the copyright on the first story that ever featured Mickey Mouse will expire. This means that nearly 95 years after the first animated short film featuring Mickey Mouse, Disney's most iconic character will enter the public domain.
The reason is that copyrights have limited lifespans under federal law and copyrights for works created by corporations (like Disney) are only protected for 95 years from the date of first publication. This is why the Mickey Mouse copyright is coming to an end.
2024 will specifically pull “Steamboat Willie, “The Barn Dance,” and that original design of Mickey Mouse into the public domain in terms of copyright law.
Disney still maintains the rights to the Winnie the Pooh characters created after 1926, including Tigger. If Tigger or any later character is used without permission, Disney may have a valid claim for infringement.
How much money did Winnie-the-Pooh blood and honey cost to make?
After the increased popularity of the film, ITN gave the film an increased budget, leading to several days of reshoots. This would lead to the film being the most expensive film Waterfield ever directed and the most expensive film produced by ITN, with a budget of under $100,000.
Beginning as a children's poem in the 1920s, Winnie-the-Pooh is now at the center of a merchandising and media empire that totals upwards of $5 billion a year.
On Jan. 1, 2022, numerous works entered the public domain, including A.A. Milne's original Winnie-the Pooh stories. Although Disney's version of Pooh is protected by copyright, the company no longer exclusively owns the rights to Winnie the Pooh.
The characters of A. A. Milne's 1926 classic Winnie the Pooh are free to use legally without repercussion. US copyright law means that works of authors are avalable to use either 70 years after the author's death or 95 years after publication.
However, Winnie-the-Pooh has been challenged since it's original publication date for featuring animals that are just as articulate as the human character, Christopher Robin. In America, conservative Christians claimed that the walking-talking stuffed bear was an insult to God.
No, Disney does not own the rights to Hello Kitty. In fact, that brand is owned by the company Sanrio in Japan. However, we know Disney loves to license properties and use them in their parks and movies.
