Disney might have fought tooth and nail to prevent their works from entering public domain but, this year, their copyright for Mickey and Minnie Mouse finally expired.
The BBC reports that the earliest versions of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are finally available in the public domain, as the 95-year-long Disney copyright finally expired on January 1st, 2024.
These versions first appeared in Steamboat Willie, a 1928 Disney short which featured the two mice in non-speaking versions. Now, anyone can use these characters without having to license them from Disney. The biggest news, though?
Mickey and Minnie are not alone – there are quite a few amazing works that are now public domain in 2024. Think ‘the most famous children’s heroes’ and you won’t be too far off the mark.
Artists and fans can now also use the 1928 children’s book The House at Pooh Corner, the Winnie-the-Pooh story which introduced the beloved character Tigger.
In the US, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up by J. M. Barrie also entered the public domain, though the copyright still holds in the UK. Another legendary children’s book, Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is now also out of copyright.
As for more adult work, this year the public domain got enriched by Charlie Chaplin’s The Circus romantic comedy, DH Lawrence’s book Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, to name a few. Ah, and All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque and Point Counter Point by Aldous Huxley, to give you some more ideas about what to send to your Kindle.
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