While the copyright for the older version of the character has expired, Disney has reminded the public that the modern versions are unaffected.
After entering the public domain for the first time, an earlier version of Walt Disney Company’s Mickey Mouse mascot has become the number one trending nonfungible token (NFT) at the OpenSea marketplace.
On January 1, a version of Mickey from the 1928 short film “Steamboat Willie” became public after its copyright expired. Steamboat Willie was Mickey Mouse’s first public appearance. Disney’s claim to this version of the character expired after nearly a century because US law only allows copyright to be held for 95 years.
Following the expiration of the copyright, three NFT collections related to the old mascot occupied the top three positions on OpenSea’s 24-hour trending list. The NFT collection “Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024” has surpassed $1.2 million in trading volume to take the top spot. Another collection titled “Steamboat Willie” came in second place, while “Steamboat Willie’s Riverboat” came in third place.
Apart from the trending list, the Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024 collection also ranked sixth on OpenSea’s 24-hour top charts, joining popular collections such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Pudgy Penguins. The Steamboat Willie collection ranked eighth on the same list.
While the copyright for this version of the popular mascot expired, Disney reminded the public that modern versions of Mickey will be unaffected by Steamboat Willie’s expiration.
Disney has stated that it will “continue to protect” its copyright in contemporary Mickey Mouse and other works, according to a spokesperson for the company who spoke with CNN. “We will make efforts to prevent consumer confusion resulting from unapproved usage of Mickey and our other well-known characters.”
