In the world of copyright, there are few companies that share Disney’s reputation for fiercely protecting how its IP is used. When the company pushed to extend copyright length from 75 years to 95 years back in 1998, the law even became known as the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act” because it prevented the iconic character from entering the public domain.
But that was then — now, as of January 1st, 2024, the earliest versions of the character seen in the 1928 animations Steamboat Willie and Plane Crazy can finally be used and referenced by anyone in the US without Disney’s permission, alongside other characters like an early version of
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