US copyright for the very first version of Mickey Mouse has expired

In 1928 Mickey Mouse came onto the big screen. In this 95-year-old “original version”, Mickey is now becoming common knowledge because US copyright law expired on January 1st.

“Steamboat Willie” from 1928: It is the first appearance of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. The humor back then was more slapstick, with Mickey turning some of the animals on the boat into musical instruments. The black and white version from back then has little to do with the good, courageous and loving Mickey of today.

But this Disney version has become common knowledge since the beginning of January, because 95 years after its first appearance, Mickey loses copyright in the USA. “Only this special version from the film becomes public domain,” explains Kembrew McLeod, a communications professor at the University of Iowa, on the NPR news network. “This means that this version may be copied, performed and reused without the need to grant permission or charge any fees.”

Mickey Mouse as a murderer mask

That’s why this mouse could soon be seen in one or more horror films. A trailer for the horror film “Mickey’s Mouse Trap” has just been released, in which a masked murderer with a Mickey Mouse mask that looks like something out of “Steamboat Willie” kills people.

The rights for the “Steamboat Willie” mouse were actually supposed to be transferred to the general public in 1984. However, Disney fought to extend these rights. In 1998, a reform was even nicknamed the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act,” and until recently Disney tried to extend the protection for Mickey a little longer.

Disney likes to adapt itself

And not just Mickey, other characters have also become common knowledge since January 1st: for example Peter Pan or Tigger, Winnie the Pooh’s friend, will lose their copyright protection. By the way, the honey-loving bear lost his copyright in 2022 – he went from being a child star to a horror actor: “Winnie the Pooh – Blood and Honey” was released in 2023.

Whether Disney takes legal action to prevent unpleasant versions of Mickey remains to be seen – sampling, mixing and reusing has a long tradition in pop culture. Not least Disney, with its numerous adaptations of well-known material, should know this: Ironically, “Steamboat Willie” relied heavily on another copyrighted work, “Steamboat Bill Jr.” – a Buster Keaton film.