“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.” –Walt Disney
In 1928, Walt Disney introduced the world to Mickey Mouse in the groundbreaking film Steamboat Willie. 95 years later, the catalytic, whistling rodent is now public domain.
According to copyright.gov, once a work’s copyright expires, it enters the public domain, which means “anyone can use it without permission from the author.”
“Anyone” includes Steven LaMorte of Slight of Hand Productions. The director recently announced an upcoming horror comedy starring the cartoon boat captain. This announcement follows in the sticky footsteps of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, which also entered the public domain just last year. Like LaMorte, director Rhys Frake-Waterfield put a dark spin on the childhood classic with his film Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.
To clarify, Disney still owns the exclusive rights to the more modern versions of Mickey and Pooh, and they have no plans to let those expire. In a statement released last month, Disney said, “We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright, and we will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters.”
The irony in this whole situation is that Steamboat Willie’s name is based on a piece of copyrighted work. As revealed by University of Iowa Communication professor and intellectual property Scholar Kembrew McLeod in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), an affiliate of NPR, Mickey’s moniker is inspired by the Buster Keaton film Steamboat Bill, Jr.
In 2024, unanchored by copyright, Steamboat Willie will continue to sail on to uncharted territory, and seas might get a little um…choppy if LaMorte gets his way.
Amelia Cordischi, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Juice Box Press, is an accomplished digital marketing professional with over a decade of experience in media and communications. Her work has been featured in notable publications, including The Boston Globe. A communications graduate of Simmons University in Boston, Amelia served as manager of Simmons College Radio (“The Shark”), where she also launched and co-hosted her radio show, The Find.
In addition to her editorial work, Amelia is an established freelance photographer, with bylines in Blended Magazine and CelebMix, capturing artists and cultural moments across the music and media landscape. Her career began at WCVB-TV’s Chronicle, the ABC affiliate in Boston, where she gained firsthand experience in broadcast journalism and storytelling.
When she’s not taking photos from the photo pit, interviewing emerging artists, or crafting the next Juice Box Press feature, Amelia can be found thrifting and exploring the world of sustainable fashion.