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Credit: DisneyThe Walt Disney Company is striking back as illegal Mickey Mouse usage reaches a potential all-time high.
Beginning January 1, 2024, The Walt Disney Company officially lost the exclusive rights to Steamboat Willie. The beloved character, created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, holds a special place in the history of animation and entertainment.
This iconic cartoon introduced audiences to Mickey Mouse, a cheerful and adventurous anthropomorphic mouse. Steamboat Willie marked a significant milestone in animation, as it was one of the first synchronized sound cartoons featuring synchronized music and sound effects, which added a new dimension to the world of animated shorts.
As many fans and companies have begun using Steamboat Willie for their own projects, which is completely legal, we have seen an increased amount in copyright claims coming forward from Disney due to other usages of Mickey Mouse, which are illegal. Torrent Freak recently reported several copyright claims from Disney on websites that attempted to stream “Steamboat Silly,” which was created by Disney and released last year as part of The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse series. The series ended its run with this episode.
While it is legal to use Steamboat Willie’s likeness in your projects, Steamboat Silly is not in the public domain. Though the character is based on Steamboat Willie, it is still a different creation and is protected under copyright law until 2119. That is why it’s very important to understand copyright law, particularly when creating projects based on Disney’s original character.
Since Steamboat Willie entered the public domain, multiple projects have been announced. Two horror films starring Steamboat Willie have already released teaser trailers, as well as a horror-themed video game. In addition, Mickey Mouse’s earliest character was made into an NFT, which quickly became a top seller.
Disney previously issued a statement regarding the matter, warning that it would still be protecting its rights in more modern versions 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.”
No more updates have been given at this time.
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