More Mickey Mouse cartoons and “The Skeleton Dance” animated short will enter the public domain on January 1, 2025.
More Mickey Cartoons Entering Public Domain
Nearly a year ago on January 1, 2024, “Steamboat Willie,” and the original versions of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, entered the public domain.
Since “Steamboat Willie” entered the public domain, the character has been used in other media, including a horror film and third parties selling Mickey Mouse NFT’s.
In a previous statement, a Disney spokesperson said “Ever since Mickey Mouse’s first appearance in the 1928 short film ‘Steamboat Willie,’ people have associated the character with Disney’s stories, experiences, and authentic products. That will not change when the copyright in the Steamboat Willie film expires.”
The spokesperson continued, “More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright, and Mickey will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company in our storytelling, theme park attractions, and merchandise.”
Disney will now be losing more versions of Mickey to the public domain. Beginning January 1, 2025, the cartoons listed below, as well as the version of Mickey and Minnie in these cartoons, will be free for the public to use:
- “The Barn Dance”
- “The Barnyard Battle”
- “Jungle Rhythm”
- “Mickey’s Choo-Choo”
- “The Jazz Fool”
- “The Plowboy”
- “When the Cat’s Away”
- “Wild Waves”
Despite the cartoons entering the public domain, Disney still holds a trademark for Mickey as a symbol of their brand. No other companies can start using a Mickey head logo, although they could make Mickey-related media. As long as a trademark is still in use, it never expires.
‘The Skeleton Dance’
In addition to losing the copyright to the Mickey cartoons mentioned above, Disney will also lose its copyright to “The Skeleton Dance.”
“The Skeleton Dance” was released in 1929, is a six-minute long short, and was the first installment in the Silly Symphony series. Written, directed, and produced by Walt Disney himself, the short has notably become one of the most iconic cartoons to date. Per the description on Disney+, “A lively quartet of graveyard skeletons come out to play and dance the night away in this spooky Silly Symphony.”
What are your thoughts on these cartoons entering the public domain? Let us know in the comments!
Source: ComicBook.com
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