Disney's first Mickey and Minnie Mouse enter the public domain

This January 1, 2024, the rights to one of the first versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse become public domain. This is the image that appeared in "Steamboat Willie," a short film in which the famous mouse becomes the captain of a ship.

"US copyright law says the rights to characters can be held for 95 years, which means the characters in "Steamboat Willie" entered the public domain on Monday, 1 January 2024," the BBC explained.

"Steamboat Willie" is a 1928 animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, created in black and white by Walt Disney Studios and presented by Pat Powers under the name Celebrity Productions. This is the debut of Mickey and Minnie Mouse despite the fact that both characters had already appeared months before in a test screening of Plane Crazy. Although "Steamboat Willie" was the third Mickey film to be produced, it became the first to be distributed.

"The character—alongside his partner Minnie—debuted in the touchstone animated short, ‘Steamboat Willie.’ Since then, Mickey Mouse and The Walt Disney Company have become—in many ways—one in the same," highlights a Disney publication.

"We will protect our rights in the most modern versions"

In this way, creatives - such as cartoonists - can now rework and use the first versions of Mickey and Minnie. In fact, highlights the BBC, anyone can use the versions without permission or any cost.

Meanwhile, Disney assured that it will continue to protect the rights to the most recent versions of Mickey. "We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright" Disney said in a statement sent to various media outlets.

And it is not the only work that becomes public domain. Other movies, books, music, and famous people from 1928 are also available to all Americans. For example, Charlie Chaplin's silent romantic comedy and English author AA Milne's book The House at Pooh Corner, which introduced the character Tigger, stand out.