Walt Disney once said, “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it all started with a mouse”. Starting on January 1, 2024, that specific iteration of the mouse will see its copyright expire. However, that isn’t the end of the story for Mickey Mouse. With the expiration of the copyright on Steamboat Willie, the copyright on this iteration of Mickey Mouse will expire but The Walt Disney Company will not be losing Mickey Mouse in any way. In fact, it could be quite possible that things really don’t change that much for the world’s most beloved mouse.
The reason this version of Mickey Mouse will be entering the public domain is because of a law passed by congress in 1998. This law states that a copyright can be upheld for 95 years. For this reason, the original version of Mickey Mouse’s copyright will be ending. In theory, this could lead to some new uses from new people for Mickey Mouse. There are still other protections in place though. Disney still holds the trademark for Mickey Mouse. A trademark can conceivably last forever if it is put to use and renewed on time. In this case, the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse would need to be used for the trademark to be renewed. This iteration of Mickey Mouse showed up recently in Steamboat Silly, from the Mickey Mouse shorts. While this reporter is no lawyer, it is conceivable that this could be used to continue to renew the trademark of the original version of Mickey Mouse and continue to protect the character.
Disney has said that the expiration of the copyright will not affect the modern version of Mickey Mouse. “Ever since Mickey Mouse’s first appearance in the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie, people have associated the character with Disney’s stories, experiences, and authentic products. That will not change when the copyright in the Steamboat Willie film expires,” a Disney spokesperson told CNN. “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.”
Even if the trademark on the original iteration of Mickey Mouse did not protect that version, later trademarks most likely would. This would mean that another company or entity would not be able to use his likeness to advertise or make money by making consumers think it is Disney’s version of the character. It could go much further than that and Disney could potentially sue anyone that they see diluting or hurting the Mickey Mouse brand. Disney confirmed that they would be proactive in protecting Mickey Mouse in their statement to CNN.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
The future of the original iteration of Mickey Mouse will most likely be determined in the courts as protections for the character are tested in this new chapter for the mouse. With Disney vowing to protect this character, it will be interesting to see who feels like they can make a compelling case that they could use the early version of Mickey.
What do you think of the earliest version of Mickey Mouse’s copyright expiring? Do you think it will change things in any way? Do you think other iterations of Mickey Mouse will be showing up in different places or will Disney rigidly protect Mickey? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
