Mickey Mouse lost his creator, his father, Walter Elias Disney, in 1966. And come 2024, the world’s most iconic animated character is set to bid farewell to his foster family—Disney.
Mickey has been the face of Disney since his introduction in 1928’s “Steamboat Willie”, with the American mass media and entertainment conglomerate enjoying a near-monopoly on the character for 94 years.
Copyright law
According to US copyright law, an anonymous or pseudo-anonymous artistic work receives protection for 95 years.
Unless the copyright is extended, Mickey will enter the public domain. That means people would freely be able to use the character in any and every artistic work, be it films or books.
Catch
But there’s a catch. Mickey has undergone various transformations—from appearance to personality—since its rat-like iteration in the 1920s. And that’s Mickey's only design that will be removed from copyright.
Disney will still own other versions of the animated mouse until they reach their respective 95-year copyright term.
Winnie the Pooh
Mickey isn’t Disney’s first character to enter the public domain.
Take, for example, Winnie the Pooh. Some aspects of the animated bear, like his red shirt are trademarked, but the character itself isn’t.
And now, the once adorable bear is set to return to our screens in a gory persona in the upcoming “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey”.