In This Article:
The early version of Mickey Mouse from "Steamboat Willie" — the 1928 cartoon that marked the debut of Disney's (DIS) mascot — has entered the public domain. The copyright expired on January 1, 2024.
Yahoo Finance Live breaks down the timeline of the modern Mickey Mouse progenitor's copyright history.
For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live.
This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.
Video Transcript
- The original Mickey Mouse character now in the public domain.
As of January 1, the copyright for the original Mickey Mouse known as Steamboat Willie that was created back in 1928 can now be used by anyone in anything from art to movies.
An earlier version of Minnie Mouse is also included in the change.
So Seana, I know you've got two young kids at home.
How much Mickey Mouse is in your life these days?
SEANA SMITH: We watch a heck of a lot of Mickey Mouse.
And actually, my two-year-old, it's his favorite character right now.
So we got a lot of Mickey Mouse-themed toys over the holidays.
But this just points to the fact that Mickey Mouse, obviously a character to no one's surprise, has spanned generations.
When it comes to Steamboat Willie, this copyright release here comes more than 95 years after it was first introduced by Walt Disney in Steamboat Willie.
So the original versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse have now entered the public domain as of this week.
And it is a bit controversial because you've got to remember what happened last year with Winnie the Pooh after Winnie the Pooh lost its copyright, entered the public domain.
There was a lot of controversy around that new film "Winnie the Pooh, Blood and Honey," which I think for valid reason here just in terms of how it totally shifts the narrative-- - Tough branding, right?
SEANA SMITH: --of a character here that so many people have come to know and love over the years.
But again, this iconic duo that so many households obviously have followed now for years entering the public domain as of this week.
So we'll see what's to come here and whether or not there's some more movies that maybe wouldn't have necessarily been produced by Disney because of the narrative, and maybe it could change a little bit.
Hopefully not though.
- Hopefully not.
A lot of, to your point though, new public domain news coming up this week, Seana.