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What will enter the public domain in 2024?

publicdomainreview.org

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Re: What will enter the public domain in 2024?

#171
post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not trying to contest, just asking... Brecht died in 1956, so +70 years (as per German law) would be end of 2026, right?

That would depend on the country right? USA doesn't have a life+, so it's a hard date of 1928.

To be precise, the US does have life+70 for works published after 1978. The rest of the world went that route and the US begrudgingly followed, but the works published before the switchover date are grandfathered into the old system. The US copyright regime is a real rats' nest of complexity, see https://guides.library.cornell.edu/copyright/publicdomain

Re: What will enter the public domain in 2024?

#172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Neither of those things are alien. A world exists outside of whatever metropolis you think is the center of the universe. Millions and millions of people hunt and millions and millions of women are primary caretakers or stay at home moms.

I would say the world shown in those cartoons is alien to viewers of today. There were millions of hunters and millions of stay at home mothers in the 40's during Tom & Jerry's original run, but there's many fewer millions now. Consider: Women jumped from a third working in 1950 to just over two-thirds (of those who have children under 6, even) working as of the year 2000. We've had another two decades and change plu…

I have no idea where you live but you are completely disconnected from the average reality. I'm going to guess NYC or SF because you don't seem to realize that things actually haven't changed that much. You're describing the woke utopia that the left from those places seem to pine for.

I'm as liberal as they come but am from flyover country. Everyone hunts. Women do a lot of the cooking. There are lots of stay at home moms. And everyone is ok with it, shotguns and all.

Re: What will enter the public domain in 2024?

#173
post #3

The mouse via Steamboat Willie is scheduled to enter public domain? Guess we can look forward to quite eventful three weeks before the end of the year, while Disney is frantically trying to prevent that outcome.

Disney spent the last decade or so growing their business (through large acquisitions) to where Mickey is now just small fraction of their worth. So they likely don't really care anymore. Plus it's only the old, old design of Mickey, not the current version they have been using for awhile that looks more normal to most people these days.

Disney also spent the last decade making enemies of at least 50% of the power base in Washington to the chances of them getting any favorable treatment in government is slim to none

Re: What will enter the public domain in 2024?

#174
post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They probably realized by now there is not much value left in that old version of Mickey. It's the newer self of Mickey (different looks and character) that brings in the money, but even that is becoming less relevant these days, I think? That's why they have bought so much IP which appeals to more people than Mickey Mouse.

Since having my first kid 15 years ago, I haven't meet a single kid that cares about Mickey in the slightest. Their parents sometimes shove it in their face but you can tell they don't care as much about it as something newer.

Lucky fellow not to have to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Re: What will enter the public domain in 2024?

#175

Disney Animation has been using a clip from Steamboat Willy (and the song) as their opening bumper for years. It was originally done when John Lassiter took over Disney Animation as an homage to his idol Walt. But some IP lawyers have said that it may also make it impossible to use Steamboat Willy in the public domain because they could claim you're violating their copyright on their bumper. Will be interesting to se…

Disney has also released a bunch of cartoon shorts in Mickey’s original style within the last 10 years. While I like the series, I felt that its main purpose was to preserve the original copyright

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Mouse_(TV_series)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wonderful_World_of_Mickey_...

Re: What will enter the public domain in 2024?

#177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disney spent the last decade or so growing their business (through large acquisitions) to where Mickey is now just small fraction of their worth. So they likely don't really care anymore. Plus it's only the old, old design of Mickey, not the current version they have been using for awhile that looks more normal to most people these days.

I was shocked to learn my 7yo daughter associates Disney with Mickey and Minnie. She's watched like one Mickey cartoon on Disney+, and she's seen way more Disney stuff than that. Never been to Disneyland. But somehow to her, Disney === Mickey/Minnie. Branding is wild stuff.

Where I grew up Donald Duck magazines were super popular (this was during Don Rosa so they were quite good as well). I got a magazine delivered weekly. I remember being a kid and always skipping the Micky Mouse stories as they were always really boring.

First I would read all the Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck stories, then I would read the weird stories (like Goofy [but only if it didn’t involve Micky], Chip ‘n’ Dale or even the Big Bad Wolf), and only if I had nothing else to do, I would first re-read the Donald and Scrooge stories and then finally read Micky.

Growing up I never understood what the big deal was around Micky, objectively the worst of the Disney characters.

Re: What will enter the public domain in 2024?

#179

Disney Animation has been using a clip from Steamboat Willy (and the song) as their opening bumper for years. It was originally done when John Lassiter took over Disney Animation as an homage to his idol Walt. But some IP lawyers have said that it may also make it impossible to use Steamboat Willy in the public domain because they could claim you're violating their copyright on their bumper. Will be interesting to se…

> could claim you're violating their copyright on their bumper That's not how it works, the use of Steamboat Willy in the bumper and public domain use just share the same source material, and Disney can't claim copyright on that source material since they no longer own it. Someone would have to copy the actual bumper to make it copyright infringement.

They presumably meant trademark, not copyright. I.e., if you use Steamboat Willie in anything that Disney could plausibly make with Steamboat Willie, they could argue that the character isn't being used as a character, but to imply endorsement by Disney, violating the trademark.

Re: What will enter the public domain in 2024?

#180
post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmmm, is the term "Mickey Mouse" trademarked? As in, would a new name be needed for any new "Mickey Mouse" animation created using the old Steamboat Willie (mouse) character?

Mickey Mouse is trademarked as a word and as a picture and all kinds of derivatives like the silhouette of his head or the design of the eared hats. You can't use him as a symbol of your business or to suggest that your product comes from Disney, but none of that will stop you from making a new creative work featuring Mickey as he appeared in Steamboat Willie any more than McDonald's can stop you from writing a book…

Makes sense, thanks. :)
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