M-I-C-K-E-Y will soon belong to you and me.

With several asterisks, qualification and caveats, Mickey Mouse in his earliest form will be the leader of the band of characters, and books that will become public domain as the year turns to 2024.

In a moment many close observers thought might never come, at least one version of the quintessential piece of intellectual property and perhaps the most iconic character in American pop culture will be free from Disney91裸聊视频檚 copyright as his first screen release, the 1928 short ,91裸聊视频� featuring both Mickey and Minnie Mouse, becomes available for public use.

91裸聊视频淭his is it. This is Mickey Mouse. This is exciting because it91裸聊视频檚 kind of symbolic,91裸聊视频� said Jennifer Jenkins, a professor of law and who writes 91裸聊视频滻 kind of feel like the pipe on the steamboat, like expelling smoke. It91裸聊视频檚 so exciting.91裸聊视频�

U.S. law allows a copyright to be held for 95 years after Congress expanded it several times during Mickey91裸聊视频檚 life.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 sometimes derisively referred to as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act,91裸聊视频� Jenkins said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 oversimplified because it wasn91裸聊视频檛 just Disney that was pushing for term extension. It was a whole group of copyright holders whose works were set to go into the public domain soon, who benefited greatly from the 20 years of extra protection.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淓ver since Mickey Mouse91裸聊视频檚 first appearance in the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie, people have associated the character with Disney91裸聊视频檚 stories, experiences, and authentic products,91裸聊视频� a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to The Associated Press. 91裸聊视频淭hat will not change when the copyright in the Steamboat Willie film expires.91裸聊视频�

Current artists and creators will be able to make use of Mickey, but with major limits. It is only the more mischievous, rat-like, non-speaking boat captain in 91裸聊视频淪teamboat Willie91裸聊视频� that has become public.

91裸聊视频淢ore 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,91裸聊视频� Disney91裸聊视频檚 statement said.

Not every feature or personality trait a character displays is necessarily copyrightable, however, and courts could be busy in the coming years determining what91裸聊视频檚 inside and outside Disney91裸聊视频檚 ownership.

91裸聊视频淲e will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright,91裸聊视频� the company said.

Disney still solidly and separately holds a trademark on Mickey as a corporate mascot and brand identifier, and the law forbids using the character deceptively to fool consumers into thinking a product is from the original creator. Anyone starting a film company or a theme park will not be free to make mouse ears their logo.

Disney91裸聊视频檚 statement said it 91裸聊视频渨ill work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淪teamboat Willie,91裸聊视频� directed by Walt Disney and his partner Ub Iwerks and among the first cartoons to have sound synced with its visuals, was actually the third cartoon featuring Mickey and Minnie the men made, but the first to be released. It features a more menacing Mickey captaining a boat and making musical instruments out of other animals.

In it, and in a clip from it used in the introduction to Disney animated films in recent years, Mickey whistles the 1910 tune 91裸聊视频淪teamboat Bill.91裸聊视频� The song inspired the title of the Buster Keaton film 91裸聊视频淪teamboat Bill Jr,91裸聊视频� released just a few months before 91裸聊视频淪teamboat Willie,91裸聊视频� which in turn may have inspired the title of the Disney short. The copyright wasn91裸聊视频檛 renewed on the Keaton film and it91裸聊视频檚 been in the public domain since 1956.

Another famous animal sidekick, Tigger, will join his friend Winnie the Pooh in the public domain as the book in which the bouncing tiger first appeared, 91裸聊视频淭he House at Pooh Corner,91裸聊视频� turns 96. Pooh, probably the most celebrated prior character to become public property, took on that status two years ago when A.A. Milne91裸聊视频檚 original 91裸聊视频淲innie the Pooh91裸聊视频� entered the public domain, resulting in some truly novel uses, including this year91裸聊视频檚 horror film

Young Mickey could get the same treatment.

91裸聊视频淣ow, the audience is going to set the terms,91裸聊视频� said Cory Doctorow, an author and activist who advocates for broader public ownership of works.

Jan. 1, 2024, has long been circled on the calendars of public domain watchers, but some say it serves to show how overlong it takes for U.S. works to go public, and many properties with less pedigree than Winnie or Minnie can disappear or be forgotten with their copyrights murky.

91裸聊视频淭he fact that there are works that are still recognizable and enduring after 95 years is is frankly remarkable,91裸聊视频� Doctorow said. 91裸聊视频淎nd it makes you think about the stuff that we must have lost, that would still have currency.91裸聊视频�

Other properties entering the U.S. public domain are Charlie Chaplin91裸聊视频檚 film 91裸聊视频淐ircus,91裸聊视频� Virginia Woolf91裸聊视频檚 novel 91裸聊视频淥rlando91裸聊视频� and Eugene O91裸聊视频橬eill91裸聊视频檚 play 91裸聊视频淟ong Day91裸聊视频檚 Journey into Night.91裸聊视频�

The current copyright term passed in 1998 brought the U.S. into closer sync with the European Union, making it unlikely Congress would extend it now. There are also now powerful companies, including Amazon with its fan-fiction-heavy publishing arm and Google with its books project, that in some cases advocate for the public domain.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 actually more pushback now than there was 20 some years ago when the Mickey Mouse act was passed,91裸聊视频� said Paul Heald, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law who specializes in copyright and international intellectual property law.

In some instances, the U.S. goes well beyond Europe, and maintains copyright on work that is already public in its country of origin, though international agreements would allow the U.S. to adopt the shorter term of other nations on work produced there.

The books of George Orwell for example, including 194791裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淎nimal Farm91裸聊视频� and 194991裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频�1984,91裸聊视频� are now public domain in his native Great Britain.

91裸聊视频淭hose works aren91裸聊视频檛 going to fall into the public domain in the United States for 25 years,91裸聊视频� Heald said. 91裸聊视频淚t would be literally costless for Congress to pass a law saying, 91裸聊视频榳e now adopt the rule of the shorter term,91裸聊视频� which would throw a butt ton of works into the public domain over here.91裸聊视频�

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