Mickey steams into history
A pair of struggling animators launched “Steamboat Willie” in 1928. That one mouse spread Walt Disney’s creativity worldwide.
The black and white Mickey Mouse cartoon was the first to use synchronized sound. Movie fans loved the 8-minute short, sandwiched between two feature films. Mickey was an instant superstar.
Walt Disney was Mickey’s original voice, and Ub Iwerks was the original animator of the parody of a Buster Keaton ilm. Disney introduced several other characters in that original...
A pair of struggling animators launched “Steamboat Willie” in 1928. That one mouse spread Walt Disney’s creativity worldwide.
The black and white Mickey Mouse cartoon was the first to use synchronized sound. Movie fans loved the 8-minute short, sandwiched between two feature films. Mickey was an instant superstar.
Walt Disney was Mickey’s original voice, and Ub Iwerks was the original animator of the parody of a Buster Keaton ilm. Disney introduced several other characters in that original cartoon and the next projects.
Mickey is the key mascot and trademark of the Walt Disney Co. He was the first cartoon character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The short film “Steamboat Willie” will lose copyright protection next year after 95 years. But it’s just that one cartoon. Disney already shows it free on YouTube.
What is copyright? Creators can own rights to and earn a living from their labors without copycats stealing their creations for other uses.
Mickey and many other characters are also registered Disney Company trademarks. Those don’t expire while in use.
Disney told the New York Times that, “Ever since Mickey Mouse’s first appearance in the 1928 short film ‘Steamboat Willie,’ people have associated the character with Disney’s stories, experiences and authentic products. That will not change when the copyright in the ‘Steamboat Willie’ film expires.”
Now, a registered copyright can extend for the life of the creator plus 70 years.
Walt Disney and his company have created full-length animated films in color, television shows like the Mickey Mouse Club, and theme parks Disneyland and DisneyWorld. Disney princess films continue to provide favorite costumes for elementary girls.
Disney took in $73 billion and employed 190,000 people in 2022.
New copyrights and trademarks will feed the flow of creativity from Disney.
Robin Read and Libby Smart laugh about film flop “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It didn’t renew its copyright. TV stations ran it free, making it TV’s most watched holiday movie. So don’t throw away your Mickey Mouse hat.
