For nearly a century, the image of Mickey Mouse has been married to Disney’s brand, but in 2024, the copyright of Disney’s first film featuring Mickey will expire.

Mickey Mouse will enter the public domain on Jan. 1, marking a milestone in the copyright wars for those fighting to ease restrictions on vintage IP.

Steamboat Willie, the 1928 version of Mickey Mouse, will now enter the public domain, despite Disney trying to save its copyright on the iconic character that started it all.

On January 1, three early Mickey Mouse cartoons entered the public domain in the US, and AI experimenters have wasted no time taking advantage of it. On Monday, a digital humanities researcher ...

Mickey Mouse in particular quickly became one of the most iconic characters of the Disney brand. Today, he is featured in virtually every aspect of Disney’s branding.

“Plane Crazy,” Disney’s first Mickey Mouse short, featured a hot-tempered Mickey humiliating and forcibly kissing his beloved Minnie Mouse.

Giving your mouse a certain kind of personality is also not copyrightable—hence horror-movie-Mickey. Subscribe to the Design newsletter. The latest innovations in design brought to you every weekday ...

Arts & Entertainments Mickey Mouse is finally in the public domain. Here’s what that means. The earliest ‘Steamboat Willie’ Mickey is now public — along with Minnie, Tigger and works by ...