Oh boy, The Walt Disney Company won’t be giving up Mickey Mouse easily.
One of the most viral stories to kick off 2024 is the fallout from the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse entering the public domain. Steamboat Willie was a pioneering animated short film that marked the debut of Mickey Mouse, created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The film was released on November 18, 1928, and it was one of the first synchronized sound cartoons, featuring synchronized music and sound effects. The character of Mickey Mouse, with his distinctive round ears and cheerful personality, quickly became a cultural phenomenon.
As Steamboat Willie, as well as the earliest version of Minnie Mouse, entered the public domain, it didn’t take long for projects using the character to be announced. Multiple horror films starring Steamboat Willie have been announced, and there is even a horror video game starring the character.
Inside the Magic previously covered the statement when it was released by Disney pertaining to the loss of the Steamboat Willie copyright. In the statement, a Disney spokesperson shared that it will “work to safeguard” against unauthorized uses of Mickey Mouse.
“More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright, and 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,” a Disney spokesperson told Deadline. “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, and we will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters.”
It’s important to note that while Steamboat Willie is in the public domain, The Walt Disney Company still holds trademarks and copyrights for later iterations of Mickey Mouse and related characters, as well as for merchandise and media featuring the character in various forms and adaptations. This means that while the original cartoon is now free to use, certain elements of Mickey Mouse’s legacy remain protected by trademark and copyright law.
One thing that is most interesting here is Disney’s clear position that it will protect its own rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse. Though the company can no longer stop others from using the character Steamboat Willie, they can and will shut down projects that contain unauthorized usage of the character.
Disney is very serious when it comes to unauthorized usage, and this statement serves as a reminder and warning that the company will fiercely protect what belongs to it.
A law was actually made for Mickey Mouse
For decades, copyright law in the United States allowed creators to hold exclusive rights to their works for a limited period of time, after which those works would enter the public domain, becoming freely accessible to the public. However, due to various changes in copyright law, the original copyright for Steamboat Willie was extended multiple times, effectively preventing it from entering the public domain for many years.
In 1998, the Copyright Term Extension Act, often referred to as the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act,” extended the copyright term for works created between 1923 and 1977. This extension meant that Steamboat Willie and Mickey Mouse would remain under copyright protection for several more decades, much to the chagrin of many who believed that such extensions were detrimental to the public domain.
However, as of January 1, 2024, Steamboat Willie and the character of Mickey Mouse from the original 1928 cartoon have indeed entered the public domain in the United States. This means that the public can now freely use and reproduce the original Steamboat Willie cartoon without fear of copyright infringement.
What do you think will happen now that Steamboat Willie is in the public domain? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!