Early Mickey Mouse Version Skyrockets as Top NFT on OpenSea Following Copyright Expiration

An early version of Mickey Mouse originally featured in Walt Disney’s 1928 short film “Steamboat Willie,” has recently gained significant attention in the digital art space. As of January 1, this classic version of Mickey Mouse entered the public domain, as U.S. law limits copyright to a period of 95 years. This development has led to a surge in popularity for nonfungible tokens (NFTs) based on this early depiction of Mickey Mouse on the OpenSea marketplace.

Three NFT collections related to “Steamboat Willie” quickly dominated the top spots on OpenSea’s 24-hour trending list. The “Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024” collection notably reached the number one position with approximately $1.2 million in trading volume. Following closely were the collections “Steamboat Willie” and “Steamboat Willie’s Riverboat,” securing the second and third spots, respectively. These NFTs not only trended but also ranked high on OpenSea’s top charts, competing with well-known collections like the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Pudgy Penguins.

This event marks a significant moment in the realm of digital art and copyright law. It illustrates the impact of public domain on contemporary digital platforms and how iconic characters can find new life in the digital age.

Despite this, Disney has issued a reminder that modern versions of Mickey Mouse are still protected under copyright. A Disney spokesperson emphasized the company’s intention to protect their rights over the modern iterations of Mickey Mouse and other characters that remain under copyright. They expressed concern about potential consumer confusion due to unauthorized uses of these characters.