Why Mickey Mouse entering the public domain in 2024 is more complicated than you think. The beloved mouse that is nearly a century old will soon enter public domain — the original Mickey Mouse's copyright expires in 2024.
In truth, the earliest version of Mickey Mouse, which first appeared in the 1928 landmark animated short Steamboat Willie, will be entering the public domain when the film's copyright expires in 2024.
Outside of shorts (which will be covered by that whole "Steamboat Willie" goes public domain next year), The first Disney full-length movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which won't go into public domain until 2033. After that, the deluge of Disney public domain stuff will really kick into gear.
Initially, copyrights only lasted 28 years. But, due in large part to Disney's lobbying and legal efforts, copyrights were first extended to 75 years, then later to 95 years.
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.
Pooh, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Eeyore and Christopher Robin all became public domain on January 1 last year when the copyright on A.A. Milne's 1926 book, Winnie-the-Pooh, with illustrations by E.H. Shepard, expired.
What will Disney do when Mickey Mouse copyright expires?
While Steamboat Willie will soon be entering the public domain, which would open it up for fair use by virtually anyone, the Mickey Mouse copyright is still in place. Disney will maintain its control over Mickey Mouse due to trademark protection.
Walt Disney Co. has controlled the rights to Winnie-the-Pooh since 1961 and kept depictions of Milne's talking animals true to the spirit of the family-friendly material. The copyright expired in January 2022. Since then, Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends have been available to the public for other purposes.
To utilise Disney characters without violating their rights, you must obtain permission from The Walt Disney Company or its subsidiaries. Its characters are protected by copyright and trademark laws, and unauthorised use can lead to legal consequences.
Among the stories they told in their famous fairy tale collection were Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel and other stories that inspired Disney. Stories of Cinderella and these other princesses are in the public domain with a major caveat — it depends on the iteration of the story and Disney's Cinderella et al.
Over the next several years, several prominent DC characters are going to become public domain. Superman becomes public domain in 2034 followed by Batman in 2035 and then Wonder Womanin 2036. Many JSA and other golden age characters will become PD over the next few years as well, some earlier than Superman.
In the US, Popeye is considered “work for hire” because “Segar was an employee of King Features Syndicate when he introduced Popeye into the Thimble Theatre comic strip.” This means that Popeye will enter the public domain in the US on January 1, 2025.
Batman, Superman, Mickey Mouse, and Even Bugs Bunny Are Entering the Public Domain. After decades of protection, several notable properties will enter the public domain in 2024 and beyond. That means you can use them without having to pay a licensing fee.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in 1910, before the cutoff of January 1, 1928. The longest-living author of this work died in 1943, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 79 years or less.
Since Shrek was created by DreamWorks Animation in 2001, its copyright will not expire until at least 2096. Therefore, it will not enter the public domain for many decades. Who owns Shrek? Shrek is owned by DreamWorks Animation which is part of Comcast's Universal Pictures and NBCUniversal.
Thanks to copyright term extensions over the years, Disney still owns the rights for Milne's books and characters published after 1926 — including Tigger — as well as later materials published by the company using Milne's characters.
Although the original character that appeared in Oz books published before 1923 is in the public domain, the later versions of the character (used in post-1923 Oz books) are NOT in the public domain. The visual expression of the Scobby-Doo character is a registered trademark.
Peter S. Beagle, the 81-year-old author of The Last Unicorn, has reclaimed the rights to almost all his works, following a legal battle that lasted half a decade.
The Bond books written solely by Ian Fleming are public domain in countries that recognise a 50 year posthumous copyright term e.g. Canada, Australia, etc.), Fleming having died in 1964. In countries which recognise a 70 year term (e.g. the UK/EU, USA, etc.), they will be public domain after the end of 2034.
As it stands at the time of this publication, The Walt Disney Company will officially relinquish its copyright on Steamboat Willie, effective January 1, 2024. But this isn't the first time Disney has faced Mickey's copyright expiration.
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.
While Disney may no longer have copyright protection for Winnie the Pooh, there are still opportunities for legal recourse that Disney can take. Disney still maintains the rights to the Winnie the Pooh characters created after 1926, including Tigger.
