Public-domain Mickey Mouse inspires horror movies, video games, memes
Mickey Mouse will appear in non-Disney works after copyright protection over the character expired, putting the character in the public domain.
Mickey Mouse will appear in new, non-Disney creative works after 95 years of copyright protection of the character expired on Jan. 1. With this, early versions of Mickey Mouse are now part of the public domain and non-Disney creators can use them in their own for-profit works.
Just in the last two days, independent video game creators and film directors have announced two horror movies and a video game featuring the character, while memes are spreading online showing Mickey in absurd and inappropriate scenes, including nautical accidents and terrorist attacks.
The quick capitalization on Mickey’s updated copyright status is the most recent example of how iconic pieces of intellectual property can be quickly remixed and recycled in the digital age for art and profit.
1928’s “Steamboat Willie” and “Plane Crazy” were the first two Walt Disney Animation releases to feature Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and the former was the first moving picture synced to sound. The characters were first protected under U.S. copyright law for 50 years, then Disney campaigned for and received extensions.
As Disney’s grip on the intellectual property rights surrounding the earliest versions of Mickey Mouse have come to an end, creators have poked fun at the numerous possibilities that could come from the change.
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