From Fortune:



In 2024, the 1928 Mickey Mouse film “Steamboat Willie” will become public domain, marking an important moment in copyright law. Although Mickey Mouse will be available for public use, it will only be the original version that does not speak and resembles a rat. Modern versions of Mickey as well as the character’s trademark are still under Disney’s protection. Other properties such as “Winnie the Pooh” and several films and novels will also enter the public domain at this time. The article discusses the impact of this expiration and emphasizes the need to bring U.S. copyright law in line with other countries and adopt a rule of shorter term to benefit works that are already public domain in their country of origin. The article also points out that the U.S. may be falling behind in allowing works to enter the public domain, and there is a push for broader public ownership of works by companies such as Amazon and Google. This expiration highlights the need for copyright reform and the broader significance of works that remain enduring and recognizable after 95 years.



Original: Disney’s Mickey Mouse enters public domain, but only ‘Steamboat Willie’ version