Legal Battles Loom As First Mickey Mouse Copyright Ends

Later, more sophisticated iterations of Mickey Mouse, such as those seen in 1940 Disney feature 'Fantasia,' are not in the public domain, and cannot be copied (Credit: AFP)

Almost a century after his big-screen debut, Mickey Mouse enters the public domain Monday, opening the floodgates to potential remakes, spin-offs, adaptations... and legal battles with Disney.

The copyright on "Steamboat Willie" -- a short, black-and-white 1928 animation that first introduced audiences to the mischievous rodent who would become emblematic of American pop culture -- expires after 95 years, on January 1, under US law.