Copyright for Mickey Mouse expired - These cult figures are now also free
After 95 years, Disney has lost the copyright to the cult character Mickey Mouse in the USA as of 2024. This means that under US law, the famous cartoon character can now be copied at will without having to obtain permission from Disney. January 1 is Public Domain Day every year, when a number of works lose copyright protection in the USA.
Milestone in the history of copyright law
This year, thousands of copyrighted works dating back to 1928 lose their protection in the USA and are now available to the general public. These include the Disney short film "Steamboat Willie", which was released on November 18, 1928 and features the cartoon characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse for the first time.
The rights were originally due to expire in 1984, but the Walt Disney Company successfully lobbied several times to extend the term of copyright protection under US law. In 1998, a copyright reform was even nicknamed the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act": the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act extended the term of copyright protection in the USA by a further 20 years. Now, despite all efforts, "Steamboat Willie" is finally out of copyright.
According to information from the Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain , however, there are restrictions on how the cult figure may continue to be used. The expired copyright only applies to the old version of Mickey Mouse from "Steamboat Willie", and Disney retains the trademark rights. This means that further developments of the famous mouse must not give the impression that Disney itself is involved in the production.
It's not just Mickey Mouse that is now public property: other cult figures and legendary works by famous artists and cultural figures are now free of copyright protection in the USA and are available for reuse:
Tigger and Peter Pan join Mickey Mouse
The new public domain series includes the children's book classic "The House at Pooh Corner" (German title: "Pu baut ein Haus") by A. A. Mine from 1928, in which the character Tigger is introduced. The copyright for Winnie the Pooh itself expired in 2022, and"Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie will also lose its protection at the start of the new year.
Books by numerous legendary authors such as the world-famous writer Agatha Christie (1890 - 1976), the writer and publisher Virginia Woolf (1882 - 1941), the American poet and Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Frost (1874 - 1963) and the British writer D.H. Lawrence (1885 - 1930) are also free from copyright protection with immediate effect. The new list also includes Bertolt Brecht's play "The Threepenny Opera" and films such as Charlie Chaplin's "The Circus" and the crime thriller "Lights of New York".
What does public domain mean?
As soon as a work becomes public domain, it can be legally passed on, performed, adapted, reused or sampled without the author having to give permission or pay money for it.
In Germany, copyright lasts for 70 years after the death of the last person to die. In the case of the Mickey Mouse film, this would be the US cartoonist Ub Iwerks, who died in 1971. According to this, "Steamboat Willie" should be protected until 2041 thanks to a bilateral copyright agreement between Germany and the USA from 1892.
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The Walt Disney Company has lost the copyright to Mickey Mouse in the USA due to expiration, allowing for free use of the iconic character under US law. This milestone in copyright law also affects other works from 1928, such as the Disney short film "Steamboat Willie" featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse. After successful lobbying efforts to extend copyright protection, the original Mickey Mouse from the film is now in the public domain, but Disney retains trademark rights.
Another cult figure, Tigger, is introduced in the children's book classic "The House at Pooh Corner" from 1928, which is now in the public domain along with "Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie. Works by Agatha Christie, Virginia Woolf, Robert Frost, and D.H. Lawrence, as well as Bertolt Brecht's play "The Threepenny Opera" and films such as "The Circus" and "Lights of New York," also join the public domain in the USA.
In public domain, a work can be legally passed on, performed, adapted, reused, or sampled without requiring permission or payment from the author. In Germany, copyright protection lasts for 70 years after the death of the last person involved, with "Steamboat Willie" set to be protected until 2041 due to a bilateral copyright agreement between Germany and the USA.
Bono, a famous musician, is mentioned in the context of copyright reform, as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act extended copyright protection in the USA by 20 more years in 1998. Additionally, the classic character Peter Pan from the USA and the famous mouse Micky Mouse were both mentioned related to the expiration of copyright. The rights for the character Tigger and the cartoon character Steamboat Willie are also described in detail.
Source: www.stern.de
