Original Mickey Mouse enters public domain in 2024. Here’s what that means

Samantha Neely, Fort Myers News-Press
·4 min read
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One of the most beloved and recognizable cartoon characters in the world is set to enter the public domain next year. However, it's a bit more complicated.

The first iteration of Mickey Mouse, the icon of the Disney empire including its theme parks in Florida and worldwide, will be among the list of characters, films and books that will become public domain on Jan. 1.

The 1928 short film “Steamboat Willie" features both Mickey and Minnie Mouse as they steer down a river. This version of Mickey Mouse has been considered a pop culture icon by many, seen throughout the company's branding over the past 95 years.

What is the 'Steamboat Willie' Mickey Mouse movie?

Watch the 7-minute short film:

What is or considered the public domain?

Public domain is a frequently used term in copyright parlance, yet it isn't defined in copyright statutes. According to Copyright Laws, the phrase is commonly used to refer to content that isn't protected by copyright law.

Works that are in the public domain may be used freely, without obtaining permission from or compensating the copyright owner. These works might have entered the public domain because its exclusive intellectual property rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable.

Some examples of popular works in the public domain currently include:

  • Grimm's Fairy Tales

  • Little Shop of Horrors

  • Night of the Living Dead

  • The Phantom of the Opera

  • Winnie The Pooh

  • The Great Gatsby

It is noted that an adaptation of a work in the public domain may have copyright protection on its own as a new version of a work, which includes translations, amended versions and annotated versions.

How long until copyright becomes public domain?

U.S. law allows a copyright can be held for 95 years. With Mickey making his big screen debut in 1928's Steamboat Willie, this makes 2024 the year it enters the public domain.

Why is 'Steamboat Willie' so important?

Steamboat Willie, the predecessor to Mickey Mouse --- DATE TAKEN: 1999 No Byline Walt Disney , Source: Walt Disney HO - handout ORG XMIT: UT95874
Steamboat Willie, the predecessor to Mickey Mouse --- DATE TAKEN: 1999 No Byline Walt Disney , Source: Walt Disney HO - handout ORG XMIT: UT95874

So, why is Steamboat Willie so pivotal to not just Disney's history but animation in general?

Steamboat Willie is the first film starring Mickey Mouse to be released with synchronized sound, according to the Museum of Modern Art. The movie was the third of Mickey's films to be produced, but it was the first to be distributed.

"Previously, there had been little to distinguish Disney’s cartoons from those of his competitors. He was facing bankruptcy when director Alan Crosland’s film The Jazz Singer—with long sequences of song and dialogue—took the United States by storm in 1927," MOMA describes online. "Sensing that movies with sound meant big business, Disney decided to stake all on his talking mouse."

The movie opened at New York’s Colony Theater on November 18, 1928, which would become known as Mickey’s birthday. Viewers were said to be stunned by the technology and animation, watching as Mickey steers a steamboat down a river.

What does this mean for modern versions of Disney's Mickey Mouse?

Speaking to The Associated Press, a Disney spokesperson detailed exactly what it means when the copyright for the Steamboat Willie film expires.

"Ever since Mickey Mouse’s first appearance in the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie, people have associated the character with Disney’s stories, experiences, and authentic products,” a Disney spokesperson said. “That will not change when the copyright in the Steamboat Willie film expires."

They continued: “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. 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."

What else will enter the public domain in 2024?

This is a 1956 photo of mystery writer Agatha Christie. Enthusiasts of mystery fiction will have the chance to play detective when some of Agatha Christie's classic books are brought to interactive life in computer games. Christie's grandson, Matthew Prichard, said nearly two decades ago that he had granted permission for his grandmother's work to be adapted for CD-ROM computer games.

In addition to Steamboat Willie, these works published in 1928 will move into public domain as of Jan. 1, including:

  • "The House at Pooh Corner" by A. A. Milne, including the character Tigger.

  • Charlie Chaplin's "The Circus."

  • Harold Lloyd's final silent feature "Speedy."

  • "Lady Chatterley's Lover" by D. H. Lawrence.

  • "The Mystery of the Blue Train" by Agatha Christie.

  • "An American in Paris" by George Gershwin.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Mickey Mouse heads to public domain. What this means for Disney