The Mickey Mouse Protection Act (aka: copyright title 17) expires in January for Walt’s creation (I can call that kid by his first name because I am so much older).
Don’t get in too large a rush to start pushing Disney products though, since it only applies to the 1928 version. The others are still under the 95 year copyright protection clauses. Here is the 28 version…
Awesome!
They’ve recently started making new animated features with Both Oswald & Steamboat Willie. I’ not a lawyer, but that seems like they’re covering their bases with new (but identical) characters…
And of course it’s only the copyright on the film that will expire … the character is still covered by trademark law. So while you’ll soon be free to make and distribute copies of Steamboat Willie, not much will change when it comes to using the character of Mickey Mouse for anything else.
Happily, that’s inaccurate:
True. Which means you can use the character in the original form (& in black and white), you can’t use it in a way that could be confused as a Disney produced item.
So old school Mickey relieving himself on various car company logos in the near future?
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