Next year, Mickey Mouse, the Disney mascot and one of the most recognisable figures in popular culture, will no longer be under its owner’s control. The short animated film ‘Steamboat Willie,’ which debuted the character in 1928, is reportedly no longer protected by copyright, according to the New York Times.
The rights to characters expire 95 years after publication, according US copyright law (for works published or registered before 1978).
Disney, often known as the House of Mouse because of the character, may thus lose the right to use the character. But according to reports, that only applies to the character’s appearance in ‘Steamboat Willie.’
The character was co-created by Walt Disney himself and artist Ub Iwerks. The character was meant to be a replacement for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, an earlier Disney character. It is best known for its trademark appearance featuring red shorts with two white dots, yellow gloves, and big yellow shoes.
Mickey Mouse holds the honour of being the first cartoon character to have their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In most of the stories, Mickey appears with supporting characters like his girlfriend Minnie Mouse, his pet Pluto, Donald Duck, Goofy, among others.
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