OUT OF THE VAULT

Original Mickey Mouse Cartoon Enters the Public Domain After Copyright Expires

The famous Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters from 'Steamboat Willie' have entered the public domain after 95 years, and could bring a wealth of new, unrestricted art.

With a new year comes renewed potential for bastardized versions of beloved Disney characters. The House of Mouse’s earliest versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse from the 1928 Steamboat Willie cartoon have officially entered the public domain in the U.S. as of January 1. This means that artists are free to rework those first variants as they see fit—without any costs or permission needed. United States copyright law deems that characters can be held under copyright for 95 years, an expiration date that Congress already extended twice in the last 40 years when the characters were about to enter the public domain. Other modern versions of the iconic mice are still covered under copyright law, which Disney vowed to protect. But until those versions reach a near-century of existence, artists can share, perform, sample, and repurpose Minnie and Mickey however they like. If history is any indication, a Steamboat Willie slasher movie might not be far off.