Cinderilla, or, The Little Glass Slipper from c. 1820. Cinderella's story from the Brothers Grimm is public domain along with Snow White's story, Rapunzel's story and so on and so forth.
Disney owns the copyright to the princess movies it made, but not to the term princess nor to princesses not in movies they made. Also, most of Disney princess movies are based on public domain stories - Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty etc.
According to US copyright law, the rights for a character expire 95 years after the publication of the original work. Disney will lose the Mickey Mouse copyright for Steamboat Willie in 2024, since the short animated film was produced and distributed in 1928.
But there are limits to what someone can do with public domain characters. For one thing, the character can only be used as it existed 95 years earlier. Let's take Superman, for example, who first appeared in DC's Action Comics #1 in 1938 and enters the public domain in 2033.
Most notably for the toy industry, these public domain characters include Mickey Mouse, Superman, Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, Batman, and Bugs Bunny. Before you begin placing Batman logos on your toys, however, be mindful that the freedom to use these characters is limited to how they looked when they first appeared.
"Tinker Bell" appeared as a character in J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, first staged in 1904, and so the parties were in agreement that under copyright law, both the name and the character are in the public domain.
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.
Aladdin — both the character and the basic story elements — are wholly in the public domain. Everyone has the right to retell the story of the kid, the lamp and the genie. Disney's Aladdin, including its songs and dialogue, are property of the Mouse House.
The original Little Mermaid story or 'Den lille havfrue' was published in 1837 and has long since been in the public domain. In 1989 Disney Studios took advantage of the fact that this literary work was in the public domain and released their animated movie.
Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and other Disney princesses: Characters from its various animated films featuring princesses, such as Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” Belle from “Beauty and the Beast,” and Jasmine from “Aladdin,” are part of its intellectual property.
Today, animation historians refer to the original Tom and Jerry characters as Van Beuren's Tom and Jerry. Today, all of these cartoons are in the public domain.
While it is likely one of the best-selling books ever published, the actual total sales since its first publication are unknown due to the many reductions and different versions. The story has been a public domain work in the U.S. since 1940.
Nowadays, “The Little Prince” book is in the public domain in most countries in the world (except France and the United States, in particular), and its fame has exploded along with the number of editions and translations published in these countries.
Neither "Bambi" nor "Pinocchio" are original Disney characters and the latter is in the public domain as far as copyright goes. All of the Disney imagery surrounding the characters is Disney property.
Copyright law in the United States dictates that works published after the 95th year of publication will no longer be affected by copyright. This means that characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Mickey Mouse, Captain America, and Batman will be entering the public domain within the next 15 years.
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.
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.
There are many popular films and musicals that are based on novels that are now in the public domain. Obvious examples include Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which is based on the classic French fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, as well as The Wizard of Oz, which is based on L.
For works created by corporations like DreamWorks Animation, the copyright term is 95 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever comes first. Since Shrek was created by DreamWorks Animation in 2001, its copyright will not expire until at least 2096.
The public domain isn't exactly something that happens quickly. According to the rules, something enters the public domain after 70 years. Oh, I'm sorry, 70 years after the creator's death. Meaning that we will not see Harry Potter in the public domain in our lifetime.
However, in validating 1923 as the publication date, this confirmed Disney's claim that the copyright renewal was filed too late and the novel became a public domain work in 1951.
