4 ms·

Because the Disney corporation doesn't want Mickey Mouse to fall in the public domain. I've said before that it may behoove us to simply amend copyright in a wa

by anon4 11y ago

Because the Disney corporation doesn't want Mickey Mouse to fall in the public domain. I've said before that it may behoove us to simply amend copyright in a way that gives Disney infinite copyright, while everything else gets ten years. Call them an "irreplaceable cultural giant" or whatever else euphemism you want for "lots of money". Require a yearly tax that's just below what they pay in lobby money currently. To make it "fair", you could say "first ten years copyright is free, then it's X per year per work, then it ramps up until it reaches what Disney can pay.. I mean Z, which was determined after market analysis"

dublinben 11y ago
Only the original Steamboat Willy cartoon would even rise to the public domain. The character as we know him today is thoroughly trademarked, which does not expire. All anyone would be able to do, is distribute free or paid copies of a historical cartoon film.
- wyldfire 11y ago
  > All anyone would be able to do, is distribute free or paid copies of a historical cartoon film. But perhaps you could also legitimately create derivative works? If you didn't offer them for sale, perhaps trademark would not apply (not used in commerce)? It would be interesting for them to demonstrate injury.
  - dublinben 11y ago
    You would only be able to create new derivative works of the character as he was in Steamboat Willy. Anything that we now recognize as being characteristic of Mickey Mouse would still be under copyright, because it was developed in later films.
- kej 11y ago
  Trademark wouldn't stop you from including Mickey in your new cartoons any more than it would stop you from showing a McDonald's.
  - dublinben 11y ago
    You could use this chap[0] in your film, but you couldn't use this more recognizable figure.[1] Disney is at absolutely no risk from unauthorized films starring a black-and-white, whistling mouse. [0]https://formaementis.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/steamboat-willie.jpg https://formaementis.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/steamboat-w... [1]http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6500000/Mickey-mickey-mouse-6526920-463-600.jpg http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6500000/Mickey-micke...

by anon4 11y ago

dublinben 11y ago

Only the original Steamboat Willy cartoon would even rise to the public domain. The character as we know him today is thoroughly trademarked, which does not expire. All anyone would be able to do, is distribute free or paid copies of a historical cartoon film.

wyldfire 11y ago
> All anyone would be able to do, is distribute free or paid copies of a historical cartoon film. But perhaps you could also legitimately create derivative works? If you didn't offer them for sale, perhaps trademark would not apply (not used in commerce)? It would be interesting for them to demonstrate injury.
- dublinben 11y ago
  You would only be able to create new derivative works of the character as he was in Steamboat Willy. Anything that we now recognize as being characteristic of Mickey Mouse would still be under copyright, because it was developed in later films.
kej 11y ago
Trademark wouldn't stop you from including Mickey in your new cartoons any more than it would stop you from showing a McDonald's.
- dublinben 11y ago
  You could use this chap[0] in your film, but you couldn't use this more recognizable figure.[1] Disney is at absolutely no risk from unauthorized films starring a black-and-white, whistling mouse. [0]https://formaementis.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/steamboat-willie.jpg https://formaementis.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/steamboat-w... [1]http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6500000/Mickey-mickey-mouse-6526920-463-600.jpg http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6500000/Mickey-micke...