1928's Mickey Mouse enters the public domain; Steamboat Willie NFTs boom on OpenSea, but Disney keeps rights to modern Mickey.
The popular Mickey Mouse animation character, from Disney's 1928 "Steamboat Willie," has become public domain, allowing free use after its 95 years of copyright expired.
NFT collections featuring “Steamboat Willie” Mickey Mouse are gaining popularity on OpenSea. The “Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024” collection topped sales with $1.2 million, and another collection named “Steamboat Willie” followed behind with over $400,000 in sales.
As the collection gains popularity and a position alongside popular NFTs like Bored Ape Yacht, Disney reminds us that current versions of Mickey Mouse are still copyrighted. They aim to avoid confusion with unauthorized uses of Mickey and other characters. Disney continues to protect their modern characters despite the 1928 version entering the public domain.
