Mickey Mouse is officially in the public domain!… Sort of… Disney still maintains a copyright to the Mickey Mouse character we all know and love today. However, the copyright for the original Mickey Mouse character has expired as of January 2024. This entry into the public domain only applies to the version of Mickey we see on Steamboat Willie, which premiered in 1928 when Mickey was first introduced to the world.
The copyright has expired for this version of Mickey only, but the modernized version of Mickey, with more defined features and those famous red shorts, is still protected. Copyrights give the author exclusive rights to use their artwork and distribute it, meaning others cannot profit off of another person’s work without the original author’s permission (unless the rights are transferred). Copyrights can protect the work for up to 95 years. After this time, they are placed into the public domain, where the material can be used for any purposes, without a need for a license or attribution.
Fairytale Arrrt 