A black and white illustration of Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie
A black and white illustration of Walt Disney's Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse, one of the most iconic cartoon characters of all time and Walt Disney's most endearing creation, is now in the public domain: The copyright on the landmark animated short Steamboat Willie -the earliest appearance of Mickey Mouse-expired at the start of 2024. Copyright protects creative works such as books, films, images, and songs from being copied without the permission of the work's creator and copyright holder. Limited exceptions are allowed for "fair use," which covers satire and some educational purposes. U.S. copyright laws grant the creator of content ownership for 95 years, which means famous works eventually enter the public domain. Legally, that means anyone could now copy and reproduce the 1928 version of Mickey Mouse without permission. Steamboat Willie isn't the first notable work to enter the public domain, nor will it be the last. In 2023 alone, the last stories featuring Sherlock Holmes became available, as did the earliest adventures of the Hardy Boys, and the groundbreaking films Metropolis and The Jazz Singer .
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