You can now buy your very own copy of Disney’s most iconic character.
The Walt Disney Company saw a lot of changes throughout 2023, with the year proving to be one of the toughest and most difficult years in the company’s history. From political battles with outspoken Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to struggles at the box office, 2023 was certainly a memorable year for Disney. To cap it all off, Disney lost ownership of one of its most iconic and recognizable characters at the end of 2023. The Steamboat Willie character entered the public domain at the start of 2024, meaning that The Walt Disney Company is not the sole owner of this black-and-white cartoon character anymore.
It’s hard to imagine Disney not having control of such an iconic and legendary character, but Steamboat Willie, along with several other characters, is now part of the public domain. The same thing happened last year with Winnie the Pooh, and we quickly saw the lovable yellow bear turn into a horror villain as a result.
In just the few short days Steamboat Willie has been in the public domain, we’ve seen several projects get announced, ranging from low-budget feature-length films to video games. However, with the Steamboat Willie falling in the public domain, you now have a chance to own an exclusive copy of the character, with the black and white character becoming its own NFT.
The very first image of Steamboat Willie can now be purchased as its own NFT. The new NFT is part of a collection launched by Truth cofounder Alexander Taub and is limited to 2,000 units. Each NFT will cost you 0.001 ETH, which equates to roughly $2.
Steamboat Willie just became Public Domain at midnight.
I set up a @manifoldxyz mint for the original image of him.
It’s a collection with a supply of 2,000 and price of .001 ETH (~$2). If it doesn’t mint out it closes in 24 hours.
The first mint was at exactly midnight, the… pic.twitter.com/KmIqgxR6hh
— Alexander Taub (🔺👁🔺) (@ajt) January 1, 2024
Mickey Mouse is one of the most iconic characters in the history of the world, and the very thought of someone as influential and legendary as him entering the public domain can be quite a wild thought. However, there are still certain rules regarding the public’s use of this character. For now, only Mickey and Minnie Mouse can be used as they appeared in Steamboat Willie, as well as The Gallopin’ Gaucho. Both cartoons were released in 1928. Mickey Mouse himself is still protected.
Previously, Disney lobbied in Congress to lengthen the number of years that copyrights can be held in 1988, further extending its ownership of the character. The law ended up being called the Copyright Term Extension Act but was also given the more accurate name, “the Mickey Mouse Protection Act.”
What are your thoughts on Steamboat Willie entering the public domain?
