On November 18, 1928, a cartoon was released which would later pave the way for the most successful film studio in the world and become what is one of the most iconic cartoons ever. Steamboat Willie was the first ever Mickey Mouse cartoon that Walt Disney Studios produced, it included not only the debut of Disney’s famous mascot, but also his girlfriend, Minnie Mouse, and his nemesis, Peg Leg Pete. On January 1, 2024, Mickey Mouse and the other characters became part of the public domain, this means that these characters can be used by any person without breaking copyright laws.
Mickey was originally meant to enter the public domain in 1984, but in 1978 the date was pushed to 2004. This seemed like this was it but in 1998, the Copyright Term Extension Act, also known as the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act,” caused the year to be changed to 2024. Of course, Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse joining the public domain doesn’t mean that every variation of the mouse is available to the public. To not infringe on copyright laws Mickey has to be portrayed in black and white because Steamboat Willie isn’t in color. He also can’t be wearing gloves. Lastly, he can’t be called “Mickey Mouse” because the name is still trademarked. If he is portrayed in any way that breaks these rules, the person using him could face serious legal action from Disney.
Now that Mickey is in the public domain, there are two big projects involving him that have been announced for 2024. A horror movie that is releasing is called “Mickey’s Mouse Trap”. The movie is about a group of friends who sneak into an arcade, but end up getting trapped with a killer dressed as Mickey Mouse. There is also a survival horror video game featuring the mouse that will come out this year, called Infestation: Origins, where the player is an exterminator dealing with infestations caused by twisted versions of classic characters and urban legends, one of them being Mickey Mouse.
Disney shared their thoughts on this in an interview with Associated Press. They stated, “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,” The company also said, “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 last thing that Disney did with “Steamboat Willie” before the cartoon entered the public domain was make a cartoon that was part of the series, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, called Steamboat Silly. Mickey Mouse going into the public domain was something that has been delayed for years, and it finally happening came as a big surprise. There will probably be many projects having to do with Mickey in the future, and it seems like this is just the beginning of a new era for Disney’s beloved mascot.