Assuming another extension doesn't happen, after 2024, Disney won't have any copyright protection for Mickey's original incarnation, Steamboat Willie. But Disney will still own copyrights for later incarnations of the character—and it will also own Mickey-related trademarks.
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.
Any future iterations of Mickey Mouse – including any showing Mickey Mouse in color – are still under Disney's control. But the copyright on the Steamboat-Willie-version will run out in 2024 after 95 years. Initially, copyrights only lasted 28 years.
What will happen when Mickey Mouse becomes public domain?
U.S. copyright laws grant the creator of content ownership for 95 years, which means famous works eventually enter the public domain. Legally, that means anyone could now copy and reproduce the 1928 version of Mickey Mouse without permission.
What happens when Disney doesn't own Mickey Mouse?
Mickey Mouse Will Still Be A Registered Trademark
Unlike copyright, which expires after a certain amount of years, trademark protection can endure in perpetuity, as long as Disney can claim that the character of Mickey Mouse is associated with the Walt Disney company itself.
“OH BOY!” Could Disney LOSE MICKEY MOUSE in 2024? - Disney News Explained
Why is Disney losing exclusive rights to Mickey Mouse?
As per the US copyright law, the rights to characters expire 95 years after publication (for works published or registered before 1978). Thus, Disney, which is also called the House of Mouse due to the character, may lose the rights to the character.
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.
The beloved mouse that is nearly a century old will soon enter public domain — the original Mickey Mouse's copyright expires in 2024. This anthropomorphic mouse is recognizable even by the silhouette of his ears and, in some ways, has been the face of The Walt Disney Co. since his 1928 creation.
The Mickey Mouse we recognize today, like this image from Fantasia (1940), will still have copyright protection until 2036. As it stands, Steamboat Willie will enter the public domain on January 1, 2024.
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.
EPS from continuing operations for the nine months ended July 1, 2023 decreased to $1.14 from $1.66 in the prior-year period. Excluding certain items(1), diluted EPS for the nine months ended July 1, 2023 decreased to $2.94 from $3.22 in the prior-year period.
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.
Mickey Mouse celebrates 90th birthday this year it means by the 18 November 2028 Mickey will be 100 years old and it is time to release him from his bonds.
Mickey Mouse is a heroic cartoon character originating from the Disney production, created by the late Walt Disney. Despite Mickey being a hero, in some media he is shown to do villainous acts, mainly when he's being parodied or satirized in non-Disney media.
Under this act, recordings published before 1923 expired on January 1, 2022; recordings published between 1923 and 1946 will be protected for 100 years after release; recordings published between 1947 and 1956 will be protected for 110 years; and all recordings published after 1956 that were fixed prior to February 15, ...
Legal Use and Intellectual Property Protection of Disney Characters. The Disney Group takes Disney trademark infringement seriously and has copyright and trademark registrations to protect its characters.
Disney is owned by many shareholders, as it's a publicly traded company. According to CNN Business News, the Vanguard Group, Inc. is the largest shareholder of Walt Disney Co.
Under the Copyright Term Extension Act, books published in 1929, films released in 1929, and other works published in 1929, will enter the public domain in 2025. Sound recordings that were published in 1924 will enter the public domain. The character Popeye the Sailor Man will enter the public domain in 2025.
Well, the studio had no choice. That's because the 1926 storybook, titled Winnie-the-Pooh, which introduced the titular character, passed into the public domain at the start of 2022, voiding its copyright, and thus Disney's media exclusivity over the character.
Under the Copyright Term Extension Act, books published in 1931, films released in 1931, and other works published in 1931, will enter the public domain in 2027. Sound recordings that were published in 1926 and unpublished works whose authors died in 1956 will also enter the public domain.
Copyright expiration is important for the public domain. Because once a work's copyright term has expired, the work is free for all to use — to repurpose, to republish, to build upon. The public domain fuels creativity ... and the longer you lock up works, well, you get the idea.
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.
Aspects of Pooh's appearance like his red shirt remain trademarked by Disney, even if the character itself isn't. This is due to differences in American law between trademark and copyright. Copyright can never be reintroduced but trademarks can be applied for and renewed.
