Disney and Copyrights/Public Domain

[Thumper_93]

I can’t wait until Song of the South and Make Mine Music and the uncensored Fantasia (welcome back, Sunflower!) for that matter, enter the public domain.

Maybe I'm too late but there's in Spain a Blu-ray edition of Song of the South made by a random distributor:

https://www.amazon.es/Cancion-1946-Song ... 09BDXRLNB/

[carolinakid]

Thank you. But it looks like another bootleg. Notice how there’s no mention of the name Walt Disney or Disney on the packaging. I already own a bootleg DVD that’s in fairly good condition but I’d love to have an official copy with the best transfer.

[rodrigo_ca]

Trouble is: Song of the South has been out of circulation for so long, these might as well be the best transfer we'll ever get, as the really good ones are all with Disney and they certainly won't let go of it

[blackcauldron85]

‘Christopher Robin’ R-Rated Hybrid Series in the Works From Boat Rocker, Bay Mills Studios
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/christ ... 235596907/

[blackcauldron85]

Mickey and Minnie and A.A. Milne's Tigger, January 1, 2024:

Mickey Mouse will soon belong to you and me — with some caveats
https://apnews.com/article/mickey-mouse ... cf87302b6f

[UmbrellaFish]

I am so excited for this! I am so curious to see what will become of Mickey and Minnie (and eventually all early Disney characters and stories) as they enter the public domain. The first entries will probably be very schlocky— I’m sure there is some godawful Steamboat Willie horror movie awaiting us in the near future. But who knows what could be possible! Walt Disney couldn’t have made so many of his movies without the public domain, so I’m glad it exists and Mickey and Minnie will soon be a part of it.

I’m also curious to see Disney’s legal strategy with protecting their properties going forward. I’d love to read a book all about what they’ve done to protect Mickey as he enters the public domain.

[Sotiris]

An early version of Disney’s Mickey Mouse will enter the public domain on January 1
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/30/busi ... xpire-2024

Mickey Mouse, Long a Symbol in Copyright Wars, to Enter Public Domain: ‘It’s Finally Happening’
https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/micke ... 235844322/

Mickey Mouse Will Soon Belong to You and Me — With Some Caveats
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... 235777284/

Mickey Mouse Hits The Public Domain, But Don’t Expect To Get A Free Ride On ‘Steamboat Willie’
https://deadline.com/2024/01/mickey-mou ... 235681133/

[rodrigo_ca]

Well, it has happened. What a day

[Heil Donald Duck]

Maybe if Bob Iger hadn't spent all the Mouse House company's money on buying 20th Century Fox, this wouldn't be happening now.

All joking aside, I doubt this will change much if anything since Mickey Mouse is still an active trademark of The Walt Disney Company so it's very very limited what you can do with Steamboat Willie and its characters.
I think it best course of action is not to bother at all with it.
Things are worth considering before doing anything with it:
1. Disney still owns all surviving original production material on the short,
2. Disney still owns all the original film negatives, so any "authentic" re-release will still come from Disney. That will thrump any PD release.
3. Disney still owns the copyright to various later incarnations of Mickey Mouse so anyone that wish to use Mickey will have to use him as he appeared in 1928.
4. Disney still owns the Trademark Mickey Mouse so no one expects Disney can actively advert stuff as Mickey Mouse.

[Disney Duster]

It really happened? Mickey Mouse is in public domain? But if Disney still owns him and no one can make something that looks like Mickey Mouse and is also called "Mickey Mouse", then, how is he in public domain?

[UmbrellaFish]

It really happened? Mickey Mouse is in public domain? But if Disney still owns him and no one can make something that looks like Mickey Mouse and is also called "Mickey Mouse", then, how is he in public domain?

Heil Donald Duck is right about the limits with the character and the short.

Over the years, I have tried to find out more clarification about what happens once a trademarked character enters the public domain. It appears to me that it will take legal challenges to really settle anything. I hope there are people brave enough to test it!

[Disney Duster]

Thank you UmbrellaFish and Heil Donald Duck.

[Vlad]

Happy New Year, everyone! If you check Steamboat Willie's Wikipedia page, the full short is included.

[blackcauldron85]

Horror Video Game Featuring Mickey Mouse Announced After ‘Steamboat Willie’ Enters Public Domain
https://wdwnt.com/?p=1036801

[Mooky]

[Vlad]

Horror Video Game Featuring Mickey Mouse Announced After ‘Steamboat Willie’ Enters Public Domain
https://wdwnt.com/?p=1036801

Oh, booooy!!!!

[blackcauldron85]

Mickey Mouse's first 24 hours in the public domain: slasher flicks, horror games and NFTs
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/j ... s-and-nfts

[MoonMarc21]

Mickey Mouse is Now A Horror Icon

Welp, it had to happen eventually though I wish people would use other genres instead of horror since it’s so easy to exploit that genre when it comes to the trope of “wAt iFFF (insert wholesome character from childhood) bEcOMEs HoRRor ”

Anyhow, Happy New Year everyone!

[UmbrellaFish]

My targeted advertising on Facebook showed me these shirts from “Life is Good,” which I think is a pretty big clothing brand? Anyway, I’m pretty sure their line of Mickey Mouse shirts here is unlicensed from Disney. If you search “Mickey Mouse” on their site, nothing comes up, but if you search “Steamboat Willie”…

https://www.lifeisgood.com/search?q=Steamboat+Willie


And usually, “official Disney licensed merchandise” or something similar is noted in product details for stuff like this, and I don’t see it anywhere.

If these shirts are unlicensed, I think it’s pretty cool! I think it would be cooler if the prices were lower… but it’s a better use of Mickey’s (and Minnie’s) public domain status than all these schlocky horror movies and games coming out IMO.

I can’t wait to see what else lies in store for Mickey now that he’s public domain!