Oh, boy! Mickey Mouse will soon belong to all of us—with several asterisks, warnings, and conditions. One of the earliest versions of everyone’s favorite mouse tops the list of characters, films, and books entering the public domain in 2024.
When a work enters the public domain, it becomes free of copyright. In other words, people other than the creator are allowed to use it.
U.S. law allows a copyright to be held for 95 years. That means one version of the American pop culture icon will be free from Disney’s copyright come January 1, 2024. Mickey’s first screen release, the 1928 short Steamboat Willie, will be available for public use.
“This is it. This is Mickey Mouse. This is exciting because it’s kind of symbolic,” says law professor Jennifer Jenkins. She writes an annual January 1 column for “Public Domain Day.”
“Ever since Mickey Mouse’s first appearance, . . . people have associated the character with Disney’s stories, experiences, and authentic products,” a Disney spokesperson says. “That will not change when the copyright . . . expires.”
Current artists and creators will be able to use images of Mickey, but with major limits. It is only the more mischievous, rat-like, non-speaking boat captain in Steamboat Willie that becomes public.
Walt Disney and partner Ub Iwerks directed Steamboat Willie. It was among the first cartoons featuring sound synced with visuals. It depicts Mickey captaining a boat and making musical instruments out of other animals. Minnie Mouse also appears.
“More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright,” Disney’s statement reads. “Mickey will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company in our storytelling, theme park attractions, and merchandise.”
U.S. courts could be busy in the coming years determining what’s inside and outside Disney’s ownership.
“We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright,” the company advises.
Disney still holds a trademark on Mickey as a corporate mascot and brand identifier. The law forbids using the character to fool consumers into thinking a product is from the original creator. For example, another film company or theme park may not make mouse ears its logo.
Disney says it “will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters.”
Another famous animal, Tigger, will join his friend Winnie-the-Pooh in the public domain. The book in which the bouncy tiger first appeared, The House at Pooh Corner, turns 96 in 2024. A.A. Milne’s original Winnie-the-Pooh entered the public domain two years ago.
Cory Doctorow is an author and activist who advocates for broader public ownership of works.
“The fact that there are works that are still recognizable and enduring after 95 years is frankly remarkable,” Doctorow says.
Lawyer Jenkins celebrates Mickey’s public domain debut. She says, “I kind of feel like the pipe on [Mickey’s] steamboat, like expelling smoke. It’s so exciting.”
Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed. — Romans 13:7
