It is a curious coincidence how the effective final day of public domain in the US demarcates the public domain Sherlock Holmes (England) from the perpetually-copyrighted Mickey Mouse (US).
I find it kind of offensive how Disney has been putting Steamboat Willie on its opening credits, recently seen in Zootopia, flaunting its perpetual copyright in our faces.
US lawmakers have signaled that nothing created after 1928 will ever become public domain. Why 1928? That is the copyright date for Mickey Mouse and he is worth too much money to let become public domain.
Mickey Mouse will be in the public domain in 2024.
> Mickey's Copyright Adventure: Early Disney Creation Will Soon Be Public Property. The version of the iconic character from “Steamboat Willie” will enter the public domain in 2024. But those trying to take advantage could end up in a legal mousetrap.
> Under current copyright law, Steamboat Willie is set to enter the US public domain on January 1, 2024; however, later iterations of the character of Mickey Mouse will remain under copyright protection until 2025
Sherlock Holmes will finally escape copyright this weekend - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34164546 - Dec 2022 (102 comments)
Mickey’s Copyright Adventure: Early Disney Toon Is Set to Be Public Property - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34150530 - Dec 2022 (56 comments)
January 1, 2023 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1927 are open to all - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34072345 - Dec 2022 (460 comments)
2023's public domain is a banger - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34071163 - Dec 2022 (5 comments)
reply