Mickey Mouse to become public domain

The Disney cartoon character Mickey Mouse will become public domain on January 1, 2024, Azernews reports, citing International Media Outlets.

It is noted that the image of Mickey Mouse can be used for free by directors, screenwriters and artists worldwide. According to the publication, the black-and-white version of the character, who first appeared in the 1928 silent short film "Steamboat Willie".

Following the American copyright law, which was changed several times during Mickey Mouse's life under pressure from Disney, for which it was even mockingly called the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act", the monopoly can be maintained for 95 years, and this period is about to expire.

Jennifer Jenkins, director of the Center for Public Domain Studies at Duke University, called it a "big event" in an interview with Variety.

"The entire copyright community was eagerly waiting for him, and finally it happened," she said.

Earlier it was reported that Walt Disney Co. At the beginning of 2024, it will pay quarterly dividends for the first time in four years since the suspension of the relevant practice against the background of the coronavirus pandemic.