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News Mickey Mouse has begun entering the public domain

Chie

Chie

Satonaka Style
Based of the events of the gaming side thread a suggestion was made to create a thread here instead.

Mickey and Minnie have both entered the public domain.

Three 1928 Mickey Mouse cartoons have entered the public domain:
Plane Crazy (silent version)
The Gallopin' Gaucho (silent version)
Steamboat Willie

On January 1st of next year, the sound versions of the silent above and 13 more sound Mickey Mouse Cartoons enter the public domain

Gonna go ahead and rep Mousetrapped, a wholesome web comic which currently has 2 comics released. Comic is by Randy Milholland

https://mousetrappedcomic.blog/

a10a688eba16e826dcd3fcf0a735e2f5638312cf.png


Also a horror film coming in March



A kickstarter for a pair of tarot decks inspired by Willie and Gaucho



fe8d46c73a74350f12c82a27c511703f_original.jpg

Thanks @EvilChameleon
 
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The best part is it’s Scrimblo rapscallion Mickey, who’s objectively the best Mickey.
 
I'll certainly make that Tumblr page one of the first places I visit each morning. And the tarot cards someone linked in the other thread look awesome as well, might consider pledging to that Kickstarter.
 
Oh God, lots of things are in the public domain, now that I think of it, including, of course, the KJV (which sucks compared to other versions of the Old and New Testament but whatever).

Like, there is a lot of "gold mines" when it comes to fanfiction from the public domain or at least "professional" fiction using, say, Arthurian mythos or Chinese mythology or cryptid lore from the 19th century. And I'm not just talking about fiction that's been recently put in the public domain but has always, more or less, been in the public domain.

Hell, you could theoretically just pick a 19th century or 20th century author's work or long-long characters and "update them" for the 21st century.
 
FYI, copyright bots have already ruined this news. one of my research compatriots (you might know him for being a director at the Video Game History Foundation) did a somewhat joking live-stream of the film the moment it went public domain. and it got muted in the VOD.


surprisingly the large chunk of public domain music he played prior was completely ignored.
 
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EvilChameleon said:
I'll certainly make that Tumblr page one of the first places I visit each morning. And the tarot cards someone linked in the other thread look awesome as well, might consider pledging to that Kickstarter.
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Got a link for those, sounds instering, I can add It to the op.

If anyone else finds anything interesting I'll add it to the op.
 
I'm waiting for an actually interesting movie with these characters and not "what if [children's character] was a SLASHER VILLAIN?"
 
Chie said:
https://mousetrappedcomic.blog/

a10a688eba16e826dcd3fcf0a735e2f5638312cf.png
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This reminds me of The Last Mechanical Monster, which is a webcomic that was a "Superman" story after the events of the Superman short "The Mechanical Monsters", except it didn't feature Superman or any of the familiar characters, except for the scientist from the short. Basically the scientist was released from jail after serving full sentence, and intended to continue his work in creating another killer robot. Basically a story using original characters from the old cartoon to create a transformative work.

Difference is that Superman himself is not a public domain character so he can't be redrawn (only the stills from the animated short was shown), while this webcomic has the cast intact.

Thankyou for reading.
 
merp said:
Oh God, lots of things are in the public domain, now that I think of it, including, of course, the KJV (which sucks compared to other versions of the Old and New Testament but whatever).

Like, there is a lot of "gold mines" when it comes to fanfiction from the public domain or at least "professional" fiction using, say, Arthurian mythos or Chinese mythology or cryptid lore from the 19th century. And I'm not just talking about fiction that's been recently put in the public domain but has always, more or less, been in the public domain.

Hell, you could theoretically just pick a 19th century or 20th century author's work or long-long characters and "update them" for the 21st century.
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I think that’s what Alan Moore was doing with League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in grabbing a pile of those characters and placing them in a new context. For a gaming reference, Codename STEAM did the same. Not to mention absolutely shitloads of modern stuff based on Lovecraft’s work (or the circle of writers he was part of like August Derleth), HG Wells, Mary Shelley, Arthur Conan Doyle or Jane Austen.
 
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PixelKnight said:
I just that’s what Alan Moore was doing with League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in grabbing a pile of those characters and placing them in a new context. For a gaming reference, Codename STEAM did the same. Not to mention absolutely shitloads of modern stuff based on Lovecraft’s work (or the circle of writers he was part of like August Derleth), HG Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle or Jane Austen.
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CodeName T.O.O.N. with all the public domain cartoon characters would be great.
 
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Chie said:
Based of the events of the gaming side thread a suggestion was made to create a thread here instead.

Mickey and Minnie have both entered the public domain.

Three 1928 Mickey Mouse cartoons have entered the public domain:
Plane Crazy (silent version)
The Gallopin' Gaucho (silent version)
Steamboat Willie

On January 1st of next year, the sound versions of the silent above and 13 more sound Mickey Mouse Cartoons enter the public domain

Gonna go ahead and rep Mousetrapped, a wholesome web comic which currently has 2 comics released. Comic is by Randy Milholland

https://mousetrappedcomic.blog/

a10a688eba16e826dcd3fcf0a735e2f5638312cf.png


Also a horror film coming in March



A kickstarter for a pair of tarot decks inspired by Willie and Gaucho



fe8d46c73a74350f12c82a27c511703f_original.jpg

Thanks @EvilChameleon
Click to expand...

You can add this, ig

 
Is it confirmed you can have Mickey talk? I know that may sound weird, but I know Sherlock Holmes was in an odd spot where the character was PD but "showing emotions" wasn't because that allegedly didn't happen in the earliest stories.
 
I think the OP title needs to be updated that specifically "Steamboat Willie" is what has entered public domain, not Mickey Mouse himself. A lot of media is regurgitating bad info so them Disney lawyers are waiting for people to screw up and get a sweet payday for their bottom line

merp said:
You can add this, ig

[snip]
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With all due respect, the less eyes on a game made by neo nazis the better.
 
Brofield said:
I think the OP title needs to be updated that specifically "Steamboat Willie" is what has entered public domain, not Mickey Mouse himself. A lot of media is regurgitating bad info so them Disney lawyers are waiting for people to screw up and get a sweet payday for their bottom line


With all due respect, the less eyes on a game made by neo nazis the better.
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The character is still introduced as Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie.

steamboat-willie-poster-by-ubiwerks.jpg


My understanding is you can use Mickey and his name within a work so long as you don’t include elements introduced in later, still copyrighted works, but the name “Mickey Mouse” is still under trademark, which exists in perpetuity so long as it’s used by the holder, so works can’t use Mickey Mouse as part of the title.
 
merp said:
You can add this, ig

Click to expand...

Yeah so the devs on that one are apparently neo nazis, it's a part of why the gaming side thread was locked. Not adding that to the op.

BassForever said:
Is it confirmed you can have Mickey talk? I know that may sound weird, but I know Sherlock Holmes was in an odd spot where the character was PD but "showing emotions" wasn't because that allegedly didn't happen in the earliest stories.
Click to expand...

Much of the discussion I've seen is that things like that aren't copyrightable. The idea of a talking mouse is too vague of an idea to copyright.

Also that Sherlock Holmes argument was something from the shitheads that run the Conan Doyle estate. They held the copyright on a handful of Sherlock Holmes stories that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote at the end of his life until very recently and used that as a cudgle to try to bully creators into paying them money based off of flimsy arguments they would make. Thankfully they now have nothing and people making Sherlock Holmes stuff can work in peace.
 
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WestEgg said:
The character is still introduced as Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie.

steamboat-willie-poster-by-ubiwerks.jpg


My understanding is you can use Mickey and his name within a work so long as you don’t include elements introduced in later, still copyrighted works, but the name “Mickey Mouse” is still under trademark, which exists in perpetuity so long as it’s used by the holder, so works can’t use Mickey Mouse as part of the title.
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I agree with most of this but I do think you could use Mickey Mouse in the title. Like I'm sure Disney still has a trademark on Winnie the Pooh, and yet:

418467258228:360


The movie uses the actual name in the title. People might be a little intimidated about using the name in the title for Mickey where he's Disney's mascot and people might feel iffy about it.

Someone will be bold to eventually though.
 
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merp said:
Oh God, lots of things are in the public domain, now that I think of it, including, of course, the KJV (which sucks compared to other versions of the Old and New Testament but whatever).

Like, there is a lot of "gold mines" when it comes to fanfiction from the public domain or at least "professional" fiction using, say, Arthurian mythos or Chinese mythology or cryptid lore from the 19th century. And I'm not just talking about fiction that's been recently put in the public domain but has always, more or less, been in the public domain.

Hell, you could theoretically just pick a 19th century or 20th century author's work or long-long characters and "update them" for the 21st century.
Click to expand...
One thing in the public domain that I wish writers would take more advantage of is The Wizard of Oz, specifically the 14 books written by Baum, which have been in the public domain for decades. Those books are brimming with potential and haven't had as many adaptations as they could have. Most adaptations are based on the first book, with its iconography specifically inspired by the classic 1939 film, which isn't in the public domain. The books have way more characters and worlds that have yet to be properly explored in other mediums.
 
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Chie said:
Yeah so the devs on that one are apparently neo nazis, it's a part of why the gaming side thread was locked. Not adding that to the op.



Much of the discussion I've seen is that things like that aren't copyrightable. The idea of a talking mouse is too vague of an idea to copyright.

Also that Sherlock Holmes argument was something from the shitheads that run the Conan Doyle estate. They held the copyright on a handful of Sherlock Holmes stories that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote at the end of his life until very recently and used that as a cudgle to try to bully creators into paying them money based off of flimsy arguments they would make. Thankfully they now have nothing and people making Sherlock Holmes stuff can work in peace.
Click to expand...
I gotcha, so it was less "people couldn't use SH with emotions till those last stories became PD" and more "it wasn't worth the time/cost of fighting the Doyle estate in court". Thanks for clarifying!
 
WestEgg said:
The character is still introduced as Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie.

steamboat-willie-poster-by-ubiwerks.jpg


My understanding is you can use Mickey and his name within a work so long as you don’t include elements introduced in later, still copyrighted works, but the name “Mickey Mouse” is still under trademark, which exists in perpetuity so long as it’s used by the holder, so works can’t use Mickey Mouse as part of the title.
Click to expand...
Ahh, didn't know that actually, thank you for the clarification!
 
Yeah, the Doyle estate was basically operating on the same principle as patent squatters, earning money via nuisance lawsuits that were easier to settle than fight
 
If anything, I'm still in disbelieve Disney didn't yet again do whatever they could to extend this copyright.
 
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Feel there is way too much focus on the Steamboat Willie short, people just mention that going public domain (plus the picture of him with the hat at the shipwheel) and ignore the other 2 shorts that also joined. He doesn't even wear that hat the whole short.

Focusing on the Steamboat Willie short and only that feels like missing the forest for the trees. The character as he existed has become public domain. Mickey and everything that existed for him in 1928 is just as public domain as Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, or Winnie the Pooh. Next and every year for the next many years more and more of the character and the world built around him will become the property of the public.
 
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