Disney Sued After Company Claims Classic Mickey Mouse for Itself

An iconic Disney creation has sparked a new lawsuit.

Morgan & Morgan has filed a new lawsuit asking a judge to deem the company’s use of Disney’s Steamboat Willie fair use against trademark and copyright claims.

Morgan & Morgan is the largest law firm in Florida and had planned on airing a new ad (seen above) in which Mickey’s Steamboat Willie boat gets into a crash with a car driven by Minnie. Minnie then hires Morgan & Morgan to represent her, eventually grabbing a bag of cash from Mickey.

While the characters may look “Disney,” Morgan & Morgan notes that the ad is not connected to The Walt Disney Company.

According to News 6, Morgan & Morgan reached out to Disney before airing the ad for assurance that the company would not take legal action. The firm said it feared being sued by Disney for trademark infringement.

The new lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The law firm is seeking a declaratory judgment stating that its ad falls under fair use and does not infringe on Disney’s trademark rights.

Credit: Walt Disney Animation Studios

The Walt Disney Company is known for creating some of the world’s most iconic and recognizable characters, though, as the saying goes, “it all started with a mouse.”

Steamboat Willie was initially created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks in 1928, and has since become one of the most famous cartoon characters of all time. Steamboat Willie was the first animated short film to feature Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

The cartoon entered the public domain at the start of 2024, though The Walt Disney Company has been quite particular about the character.

Back when Steamboat Willie entered the public domain, a Disney spokesperson said in a statement, “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. 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 industry was quick to act on the mouse’s updated legal status. Horror has been the go-to flavor so far, with a string of Disney-inspired projects hitting the scene over the last year and a half, including Mickey’s Mouse Trap and The Return of Steamboat Willie.

Earlier this year, Disney filed a lawsuit against a company it alleges was selling unlicensed Mickey products.

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