Mickey Mouse Is Now in the Public Domain After 95 Years of Disney Copyright.

The article discusses the impact of Disney's efforts to maintain copyright protection for the character Mickey Mouse, particularly following the expiration of the copyright for the 1928 cartoon "Steamboat Willie." Initially groundbreaking for its use of synchronized sound, "Steamboat Willie" introduced Mickey and Minnie Mouse, with Mickey becoming a central figure in Disney's branding. Over the years, Disney successfully lobbied for extensions to copyright laws, which allowed for longer protection periods. However, as of January 2024, the original version of Mickey Mouse is now in the public domain, allowing anyone in the U.S. to use it without copyright concerns, although Disney still retains rights to later versions of the character. [Extracted from the article]