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Disney's earliest Mickey Mouse enters public domain as US copyright expires

bbc.com

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Re: Disney's earliest Mickey Mouse enters public domain as US copyright expires

#81

Post by vlovich123 »

mod50ack wrote: post #56
weinzierl wrote: post #29

Before people cheer too much, surprisingly works can retroactively be snatched back from the public domain and go back into copyrighted state. The prime example is the movie Metropolis . It became public domain in 1953 but copyright was restored in 1996 only to re-enter the public domain a year ago today.

> Before people cheer too much, surprisingly works can retroactively be snatched back from the public domain and go back into copyrighted state. The United States is decidedly not going to extend copyright terms. The US only very reluctantly pulled works out of the public domain after it joined the Berne Convention in 1989. The reason ''Metropolis'' was in the public domain was because it failed to comply with renewa…

Well they did extend terms in 1998 but I agree the retroactive part is unlikely as is another extension.

Re: Disney's earliest Mickey Mouse enters public domain as US copyright expires

#82

Post by harimau777 »

pasiaj wrote: post #46
coldlight wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The deal that society has is that "we follow the law and they follow the law". Not "we follow the law and they have it changed so that we have to do whatever they want".

The law is the will of ”we”. ”They” can’t change the law – only ”we” can.

Due to gerrymandering, the electoral college, weak campaign finance laws, etc. that's not the case in the United States.

Re: Disney's earliest Mickey Mouse enters public domain as US copyright expires

#84

Post by andsoitis »

CuriouslyC wrote: post #78
safety1st wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mickey's so high profile that I bet someone out there would be more than happy to go to court with Disney over this. I mean if you have money and lawyers, then this is a sure way to turn them into publicity, especially if you win.

John Oliver started baiting them a while back... https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/04/john-oliver-dar... .

And nothing happened, right?

Re: Disney's earliest Mickey Mouse enters public domain as US copyright expires

#85

Post by pwdisswordfishc »

mod50ack wrote: post #56
weinzierl wrote: post #29

Before people cheer too much, surprisingly works can retroactively be snatched back from the public domain and go back into copyrighted state. The prime example is the movie Metropolis . It became public domain in 1953 but copyright was restored in 1996 only to re-enter the public domain a year ago today.

> Before people cheer too much, surprisingly works can retroactively be snatched back from the public domain and go back into copyrighted state. The United States is decidedly not going to extend copyright terms. The US only very reluctantly pulled works out of the public domain after it joined the Berne Convention in 1989. The reason ''Metropolis'' was in the public domain was because it failed to comply with renewa…

Uruguay Round Agreements Act?

Re: Disney's earliest Mickey Mouse enters public domain as US copyright expires

#86

Post by Nursie »

8organicbits wrote: post #26
blendo wrote: post #24

“US copyright law says the rights to characters can be held for 95 years.” 95 years ago was also about when the cinema and recording industries began. Since then, I’ll argue, all recorded entertainment and theatrical performances have become “fixed” into our culture similar to how Plato, the Bible, and Shakespeare became cultural touchstones due to literacy and the printing press. And now, as they enter the public do…

Is Mickey content good enough that we'll see continued interest? My encounters with Mickey (35 year old American) have been only through the movie Fantasia and I know he is a prominent mascot of Disney World. But the pull to Disney world is probably what, Star Wars or Pixar these days? I was recently thinking Star Wars and the Friends TV series could reach that permanent status. Mickey seems unlikely to me.

This, to me, is a good reason for things to lose copyright sooner.

There are few people alive today who would remember when steamboat Willy was released. Culture is currently tied up in copyright long enough that things will mostly be forgotten long before they enter the public domain. Effectively lost. This is surely not desirable.

Re: Disney's earliest Mickey Mouse enters public domain as US copyright expires

#87

Post by andsoitis »

nonrandomstring wrote: post #37
blendo wrote: post #24

“US copyright law says the rights to characters can be held for 95 years.” 95 years ago was also about when the cinema and recording industries began. Since then, I’ll argue, all recorded entertainment and theatrical performances have become “fixed” into our culture similar to how Plato, the Bible, and Shakespeare became cultural touchstones due to literacy and the printing press. And now, as they enter the public do…

> Plato, the Bible, and Shakespeare > inescapable part of our common heritage Indeed, but how? The three circles of Mickey Mouse is the semiotic emblem for everything that is shallow, plastic, maudlin and sentimental, self-obsessed, cynically capitalistic and exploitative. In British (army and construction worker culture) the phrase "Mickey Mouse" is used for anything that's an ineffectual toy or poorly manufactured.…

> There are almost no positive connotations of Disney I can think of outside the cohort of 5 - 10 yo girls. To call something "Disney" is to mock it. YMMV in the USA.

Disney stuff isn't my cup of tea either, but that doesn't mean it isn't very popular around the world.

When we look at the financials of Disney Theme Parks and Experiences, for example, they report strong booking worldwide with reported revenue for the fourth quarter at $8.2 billion, up 13% from last year. Operating Income at $1.8 billion, up 31% from the previous year. Source: https://skift.com/2023/11/08/disney-theme-parks-focused-on-t...

Re: Disney's earliest Mickey Mouse enters public domain as US copyright expires

#88

Post by omneity »

cool_dude85 wrote: post #33
manquer wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only the steamboat Willie version, the one without gloves . Also practically it doesn’t matter whether it could be fine, most businesses can’t afford to fight an extended legal battle with Disney

Someone, in one of these threads a few weeks ago, posted what was claimed to be a movie poster/ad from the same year with his red pants and gloves: https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/22084 If you could verify the timing on that I guess it would go into public domain as well.

You can see gloves in Steamboat Willie’s outro too, on both Mickey and Minnie.
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