Is copyright - or a novel legal structure as you suggest - really necessary to "protect" Micky Mouse? Isn't trademark enough? If I understand correctly, the exp

Is copyright - or a novel legal structure as you suggest - really necessary to "protect" Micky Mouse? Isn't trademark enough? If I understand correctly, the expiration of copyright of Disney's works will bring the individual works into the public domain one at a time, but the trademark on the characters still stands as long as Disney enforces it.