In this article, we will discuss the entry of the characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse into the public domain and what that means for creators. The article will be divided into subheadings to clarify the information better.
Basic Information
On January 1st, the silent version of the film “Steamboat Willie,” released in 1928 and directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, will enter the public domain, along with the original versions of the characters Minnie and Mickey Mouse. This will be the first time that the original versions of these characters will be available for use by illustrators, filmmakers, writers, and anyone else who wishes to use them, which is a significant achievement for creators who have been constrained for a long time due to Disney’s repeated legal actions to prevent copyright infringement.
Other Works in the Public Domain
In addition to Mickey and Minnie, other works will enter the public domain in 2024, including “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” by D.H. Lawrence, “Orlando” by Virginia Woolf, “The Mystery of the Blue Train” by Agatha Christie, and “A House at Pooh Corner,” the book in which Tigger first appeared, making the character available for public use for the first time. Over the many past years, works such as the original book “Winnie the Pooh,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Metropolis,” and “The Tenant: A Story of London Fog” (the first thriller by Alfred Hitchcock), along with the last stories of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, have entered the public domain.
The Impact of Mickey and Minnie Entering the Public Domain
Disney owns many characters that are in the public domain, including Peter Pan, Bambi, the Little Mermaid, Snow White, and Cinderella, all of which were the subject of classic works by authors such as the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen before Disney reimagined their stories on the big screen.
What to Watch For
Once copyright expires, characters can be used in any type of new work, including books, films, and music. As Jennifer Jenkins from the Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain stated to Variety, “Zombies seem to be a popular addition.”
A Surprising Fact
With some heritage characters like Sherlock Holmes, entering the public domain is not enough to avoid all types of lawsuits. Netflix recently faced a lawsuit from the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle over its portrayal of Holmes, a character whose rights ended years ago when earlier Sherlock Holmes books entered the public domain. In Netflix’s 2020 film “Enola,” the character was depicted as a warmer, more emotional version of the analytical genius he was known to be, and the Doyle estate claimed that these personality traits only appeared in the later books that were still under copyright when the film was released. Those rights expired in 2023, and the case was ultimately dismissed.
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