The copyright on Mickey Mouse expires today, meaning The Walt Disney Company no longer has the exclusive rights to the character. Does this mean you can put Mickey in your own cartoon? Not exactly.

When Walt Disney first released the cartoon short film Steamboat Willie in November 1928, it was groundbreaking. It was one of the cartoons to use synchronized sound, and would go on to become one of ...

The lawsuit seeks clarity around whether companies can exploit the earliest depiction of Mickey Mouse from a 1928 animated ...

On January 1, 2024, The Walt Disney Company will no longer own the rights to its iconic characters, Mickey and Minnie Mouse. As Mickey and Minnie enter the public domain in the New Year, the company ...

The 1928 version of Mickey Mouse will now enter the public domain, despite Disney trying to save its copyright on the iconic character that started it all. Disney will lose the copyright of Steamboat ...

An early Walt Disney movie featuring the first appearance of Mickey Mouse is among the copyrighted works from 1928 moving into the public domain on Jan. 1, 2024. But the cartoon creature who stars in ...

The “Steamboat Willie” version of Mickey Mouse has sailed to Walt Disney’s biggest enemy: the public domain. Much like Winnie the Pooh took his first bloody steps into the public domain last year, the ...

In just a few short days, an early version of Disney’s most iconic character will join the public domain for the first time. For nearly a century, the image of Mickey Mouse has been married to the ...