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The Street
The Street
Rebecca Mezistrano

What's next for Mickey Mouse now that Disney's 'Steamboat Willie' copyright has expired

TheStreet's J.D. Durkin brings the latest business headlines from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as markets open for trading Tuesday, January 2.

Full Video Transcript Below:

J.D. DURKIN: I’m J.D. Durkin - reporting from the New York Stock Exchange. Here’s what we’re watching on TheStreet today.

Stocks are kicking off the new year on a lower note after a strong 2023 which saw all three major averages end in positive territory. Investors are skittish as tech stocks slide after analysts downgraded Apple on iPhone demand concerns.

Investors are looking ahead to the December jobs report which is due out Friday. This will give Wall Street a clearer picture of the labor market as 2024 kicks off.

In other news - one of the most iconic characters of all time now belongs to…everyone. The original version of Disney’s Mickey Mouse entered public domain on January 1.

Appearing for the first time in the film “Steamboat Willie” in 1928, Mickey Mouse has become the face of the Disney empire. But U.S. copyright law allows a copyright to be held for 95 years, and the House of Mouse lost its sole ownership over the character.

However, the company told CNN that while you might start seeing more of Mickey, there are still some restrictions in place. Disney said in statement quote “More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright." The current Mickey boasts gloves, oversized shoes, and differently shaped eyes than the original.

But Mickey is not the only animated icon to recently enter public domain. In 2022, the copyright to the original Winnie the Pooh expired - leading to the 2023 horror film “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.”

That’ll do it for your daily briefing. From the New York Stock Exchange, I’m J.D. Durkin with TheStreet.

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