Mickey Mouse NFT Launches After Copyright Expiration

Mickey Mouse NFT launches after copyright expiration

As of January 1, 2024, the copyright of the duo Mickey Mouse and Minie in the first episode titled “Steamboat Willie” has officially expired after 95 years from its debut in 1928. This means that Disney company lost control over these images.

So from now on, artists and users can use Mickey’s image in “Steamboat Willie” without having to ask permission or pay copyright fees.

Just hours after the event, the crypto community quickly created coins using the image of Mickey Mouse, including the “Mickey Token” memecoin and the Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024 NFT collection.

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

Among them, the Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024 NFT has attracted great attention. After releasing 2,000 NFTs for 0.01 ETH on January 1, the NFT value increased to 0.39 ETH on the morning of January 2, before falling to 0.16 ETH at press time.

NFT Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024 collection statistics data as of 07:30 AM on January 2, 2024. Source: OpenSea.

However, Disney retains copyright rights to later revised versions of Mickey Mouse and is committed to continuing to protect their intellectual property rights.

Mickey Mouse versions from time to time. Photo: Duke University