Disney’s Mickey Mouse enters public domain as 95-year-old copyright expires

Iconic American cartoon character Mickey Mouse entered the public domain on Monday as its copyrights with Disney expired under the United States law on the last day of 2023, after a whopping 95-year time period.

At least one version of the quintessential piece of intellectual property will be free from Disney’s copyright as Mickey Mouse’s first screen release in the 1928 short film ‘Steamboat Willie’, featuring both him and Minnie Mouse, became available for public use from January 1.