One particular work is receiving a lot of attention – the 1928 animated short “Steamboat Willie,” which marked the film debut of Mickey Mouse.
After almost a hundred years, this iconic piece of entertainment will finally enter the public domain, meaning Disney will lose its exclusive control over it. This opens up opportunities for others to use the images of Mickey Mouse in their creative works, such as books and films. However, there is a catch: they can only use the original “Steamboat Willie” versions, not the more familiar renditions of the character. Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard law professor and copyright expert, explains that this is a full circle moment, where the public can now build upon the works of Disney, just as Disney built upon the works of the public domain before them. This represents how creativity is supposed to happen, with each generation adding its own twist to existing ideas.