In 2024, Mickey Mouse will finally enter the public domain

Every year, a new generation of copyrighted works and intellectual property becomes publicly available for anyone to use. But even more than usual, this year’s participants include some of the most famous characters in history, including none other than Mickey Mouse. With a little Mickey With the release, Disney will lose just a little of its all-important image control, but it’s only the earliest version of its mouse mascot that becomes fair game.

Under the United States’ somewhat strange copyright laws, works first published in 1928 enter the public domain this year. Here are the highlights of this year’s public domain course and some other interesting additions:

Mickey and Minnie Mouse

With Disney’s 76th anniversary, Disney’s mascot will finally be available to the public Steamboat Willie, Mickey and Minnie’s first appearances. After decades of legislation to expand copyright law (which Disney itself championed), the copyright for the earliest appearance of Mickey Mouse will finally expire in 2024, meaning anyone can use that specific Mickey in their creative work.

Although the expiration of copyright is big news, it does not give the public a free hand. The version of the character that enters the public domain is only the one from Steamboat Willie. Exactly what this version of the character represents compared to a more modern one is a question for Disney’s lawyers and the courts to decide.

Tigger

While Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain a few years ago, not all of his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood are fair game yet. But now this The House at Pooh Corner (which, to be honest, already sounds like a horror title) enters the public domain, as does Tigger, the most famous character featured in it.

Notable but somewhat less famous works entering the public domain in the United States in 2024 include a slew of films and books; here is just a small selection.