By Noor Nanji, BBC | “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 company said.
US copyright law says the rights to characters can be held for 95 years, which means the characters in Steamboat Willie entered the public domain on Monday, January 1, 2024.
Those works can now legally be shared, performed, reused, repurposed or sampled.
The early versions of Mickey and Minnie are just two of the works entering the public domain in the US on New Year’s Day.
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https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67833411
Additional reporting by Leisha Chi-Santorelli
Photo: Steamboat Willie
Disney’s Earliest Mickey and Minnie Mouse Enter Public Domain as US Copyright Expires
