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ARTICLE · 15 NOVEMBER 2023

Mickey Mouse's Copyright Journey And Porsche's Unique Trade Mark Challenge

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There's been considerable interest in the news that the Mickey Mouse copyright is due to expire in the USA. According to Global Toy News "the copyright that has prevented others from using Mickey Mouse...

GlobalIntellectual Property
Ilse Du Plessis
Ilse Du Plessis
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Pic credit:  Wikimedia Commons

There's been considerable interest in the news that the Mickey Mouse copyright is due to expire in the USA. According to Global Toy News "the copyright that has prevented others from using Mickey Mouse on their products and media runs out in 2024...you and the rest of the world can begin using the world's most recognised rodent without getting permission or paying licence."

But...

Unlike Mickey himself, it's not all black and white. A second news report claims that in January 2024, the copyright in the first story that featured Mickey Mouse will expire. But, like so many of us, Mickey Mouse (or Mr Mouse as we should probably now call him given his age) has evolved over time and that muddies the water. Film news publication, Screen Rant, says that 'Mickey Mouse's ongoing evolution throughout Disney's history from that very first short film complicates his copyright status.'

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