Billionaires Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk Call To Eliminate Intellectual Property Rights for Creators

[generalbetrayus]

45. Only the early, Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse is in the public domain.

From the linked article:

But in January 2024, the copyright on Steamboat Willie officially expired, and Mickey Mouse is now officially in the public domain. This means that now anyone in the U.S. can use the Steamboat Willie version of the Mickey Mouse character without fear of copyright infringement. Copyright laws vary by country, so in some places Mickey remains protected.

Since the start of the year, a trailer for a Mickey Mouse horror film has been released while other digital creators have edited the footage from Steamboat Willie to make it sound as if Mickey is using profanity.

Nevertheless, Disney still retains some protections of the Mickey Mouse character. Versions of Mickey Mouse that were released after Steamboat Willie that feature his quintessential red shorts and big eyes remain protected.