Disney may lose exclusive rights to Mickey Mouse image following copyright protection expires
2022-07-06 10:52:31Source: CCTV Finance
According to multiple British media reports, the copyright protection period for the iconic animated character Mickey Mouse of the American Disney Company is regarding to expire. Disney may soon lose exclusive rights to the 95-year-old image.
As soon as the news came out, related topics rushed to the hot search list.
Walt Disney, the founder of the American Disney Company, created the animated character “Mickey Mouse” in 1928 and made his debut in the film “Steamboat Willie” in the same year.
Mickey Mouse has long been a symbol of the Disney Company. It can bring in billions of dollars in revenue for Disney every year.
But U.S. copyright protection law stipulates that the image is copyrighted for 95 years. This means that in 2 years, starting in 2024, the image of Mickey Mouse will automatically enter the public domain. According to the British “Mirror”, following this, anyone who wants to use the image of Mickey Mouse can use it at will without applying and without paying copyright fees.
As of now, it is unclear whether Disney will take additional action to extend copyright protection, and the company has not commented. However, before that, Disney lobbied several times in 1976 and 1998 to amend the bill to extend the copyright protection period of the Mickey Mouse image from the original 56 years to the current 95 years.
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