Mickey Mouse, the iconic character who made his debut in the 1928 short Steamboat Willie, officially became public domain on January 1, 2024. Historically, Disney (NYSE:DIS) has been extremely protective of its copyrighted characters. It is important to note that it is only the Mickey Mouse character that debuted in the Steamboat Willlie short that has become public domain. Use of more modern iterations of the iconic mouse could potentially bring litigation.
What are the consequences of Mickey and others entering public domain? Readers may already be acquainted with the treatment of another iconic character who became public domain in January 2022: Winnie the Pooh. That spawned the horror-comedy Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, a film that grossed $5.2 million worldwide on a paltry $100,000 budget. The film was also critically panned. Tigger, another iconic character from the Winnie the Pooh universe, also became public domain in January 2024.
This week, the trailer launched for Mickey’s Mouse Trap, which hopes to quickly capitalize on the iconic character’s newfound availability. A new video game was also announced that features the 1928 version of Mickey Mouse.
Shares of Disney have increased 1.96% year-over-year as of close on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. The media giant has met with some setbacks on the creative front with its Star Wars and Marvel franchises unable to repeat their incredible successes in the previous decade. It will be worth watching how Disney may respond to the future use of its iconic character.