Mickey Mouse NFTs Soar After Copyright Expires. OpenSea Has Been Filled With Collections

✍️ 3 January, 2024 - 9:07 👤 Editor: Jakub Motyka

• The original Mickey Mouse character enters the public domain and generates great interest in the NFT market, especially on OpenSea.
• Collections related to "Steamboat Willie" dominate the trending charts on OpenSea.
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Mickey Mouse, the iconic Disney character, has entered the public domain, freeing itself from copyright restrictions and causing a great impact in the world of NFTs (non-fungible tokens).

The first version of Mickey, who first appeared in the 1928 short film titled Steamboat Willie, has become a historical milestone in the field of intellectual property. As of January 1, 2024, this version of Mickey Mouse is available to the public after almost a century under copyright protection, since United States law United States limits copyright protection to 95 years​​.

Mickey Mouse Is Released From Its Copyright And OpenSea Is Filled With Collections

Mickey Mouse is freed from his copyrights and OpenSea is filled with collections

OpenSea, the popular NFT marketplace, has witnessed an increase in trading volume related to vintage Mickey Mouse. The NFT collection titled Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024 has topped the list of 24-hour trends on OpenSea.

Two more collections followed closely, Steamboat Willie and Steamboat Willie’s Riverboat, occupying the second and third place, respectively.

It should be said that there are significant differences between the 1928 representation of Mickey Mouse and the contemporary version of the character. In the Steamboat Willie version, Mickey does not wear the gloves and large shoes characteristic of the current version, and his eyes are shown as small black ovals without pupils​.

Although Steamboat Willie is gaining attention in NFT collections on OpenSea, there may be limitations to its use due to its previous copyright affiliation with Disney, which is now in the public domain.

According to Rebecca Tushnet, a professor at Harvard Law School, the public domain grants the freedom to reprint Steamboat Willie without restrictions. However, Tushnet emphasizes the importance of avoiding replicating elements of modern Mickey Mouse, as Disney still owns the trademarks for those elements.

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