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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Ellie Muir

Mickey Mouse becomes horror film star as original design copyright expires

Mickey Mouse Willie Walt Disney United States Minnie Mouse Ub Iwerks SNAP
Snap/Shutterstock

Just hours after the copyright of the earliest incarnation of one of Disney‘s most legendary characters expired and entered the public domain, it looked as though Mickey Mouse had swapped his life at Disney Land for the chance to star in a new slasher film.

Well, almost. Steamboat Willie, a 1928 animated short film which features the original version of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, had been copyrighted to Disney until it expired on January 1 2024. The copyright’s expiration now means that the use of Steamboat Willie (an early version of Mickey) is free to use without legal pushback from Disney.

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