Happy New Year!
I hope 2024 is decent. My 2023 was so-so. There were some highs and lows in my personal life, but it was an alright year for me.
The year 2024 is starting off with a bang with new works entering the public domain. The most notable work joining the public domain realm is Disney's Steamboat Willie. Yup. THE Steamboat Willie by Disney. That's right. Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be a part of the public domain. BUT…
But remember that it is the 1928 version of Mickey and Mouse that is entering the public domain. Not the later versions of Mickey Mouse. So, you can create any work with Mickey Mouse as long it is the version from Steamboat Willie. Any other version of the mouse, such as King Mickey from Kingdom Hearts, is off limits unless it is fair use (like reviews and commentary). There is also another Disney animation short entering the public domain. The other Mickey Mouse short going into the public domain is the silent version of Plane Crazy. EDIT 1/3/23: It looks like as long as you don't call the Steamboat Willie inspired design “Mickey Mouse”, you are fine. Just make sure the design is distinct from modern Mickey Mouse and doesn't use the name “Mickey Mouse.” A similar example is that you can use Frankenstein's monster (which is another character from a public domain work) in your works, but you can't use the Universal Studios version of Frankenstein's monster.
Besides those two Disney animation shorts, other notable works joining the public domain ranks include:
- Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H Lawrence
- Orlando by Virginia Woolf
- Dark Princess by W.E.B. Du Bois
- Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág
(This is a shortened list from the original. It originated from Public Domain Day 2024 by Jennifer Jenkins, Director of Duke Law School’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.)
There are many new to public domain in 2024 works listed in the above link. I highly recommend checking out Duke Law School’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain website because it is a fun and educational source on copyright.
And that is a wrap on today's post. So what newly public domain 2024 works are you excited about? Any books and films you're looking forward to when they enter the public domain in 2025?
Please don't hesitate to comment. And see you next time.
An important disclaimer: I'm not a legal expert. I'm not a copyright lawyer. My post is not a substitute for legal advice.
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