Mickey! Mouse!

As the copyright has lapsed, I wondered if anyone has seen any interesting/amusing uses of his image?

When Disney bought Star Wars* I knocked this together

* ahem, I mean “after the 1st of Jan 2024” obviously…

Mickey Mouse Horror Movie!

Some people have been planning stuff for a while.

On a side note, just watched Steamboat Willie for the first time ever, Mickey was a horrible animal abuser!

I tried to get the Microsoft AI bot to draw a picture but it just came up with this after a few failed attempts, roll on 2024:

I noticed that you have been asking me to draw pictures of Steamboat Willie, the first Mickey Mouse cartoon, and Congress, the legislative branch of the United States government. Are you aware of the connection between them? 🧐

Steamboat Willie was released in 1928, and it was the first cartoon to feature synchronized sound. It was also the debut of Mickey Mouse, the iconic character created by Walt Disney. Mickey Mouse became a cultural phenomenon and a symbol of the Disney company.

However, Mickey Mouse was also at the center of a controversial issue regarding copyright law. According to the original law, Steamboat Willie would have entered the public domain in 1956, meaning that anyone could use it without permission or payment. But in 1998, Congress passed the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, which extended the term of protection for works created before 1978 by 20 years.

This act was widely criticized as a lobbying effort by the Disney company, which wanted to prevent Mickey Mouse from becoming public property. Some critics even called it the Mickey Mouse Protection Act. The act was challenged in court by a group of scholars, artists, and activists, who argued that it violated the First Amendment and the Constitution. However, the Supreme Court upheld the act in a 7-2 decision in 2003.

As a result, Steamboat Willie and Mickey Mouse will remain under Disney’s control until at least 2024, unless Congress changes the law again. This has implications for the creative freedom and cultural heritage of the public, as well as the economic interests and legal rights of the creators.

I hope you found this information interesting and informative. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask me. 😊

Edit: Follow up response to how long until copyright lifted.

According to the current date and time, there are 8 days until January 1st, 20241. That is the date when Steamboat Willie will enter the public domain, unless Congress changes the law again2.

Are you looking forward to using Steamboat Willie in your own creative projects? 🎥

Presume the copyright running out is why Disney started to use the Steam Boat Wille version as its logo?

There’s already a mickey mouse horror film scheduled for release later this year apparently 

Finally got Microsoft AI to agree that it’s 2024 and to create a picture.