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To expand on this point a bit, Ars Technica has some articles on the copyright extension saga. In 2019, when works started going into the public domain again in
by jcranmer 3y ago
To expand on this point a bit, Ars Technica has some articles on the copyright extension saga. In 2019, when works started going into the public domain again in the US, they published https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/01/a-whole-years-worth-of-works-just-fell-into-the-public-domain/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/01/a-whole-years-wo...; in 2018, they published https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/01/hollywood-says-its-not-planning-another-copyright-extension-push/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/01/hollywood-says-i... which had interviews saying that there were no plans for another copyright extension term push.
Of course, both times, comments were pretty incredulous that Disney would prevent Steamboat Willie from going public domain. And now we're 3 weeks from that happening, and 1 week from the US House planning to go on recess, and there's no sign of any bill that would extend copyright further. People who pay attention will note that Disney has seemed to prepare for Steamboat Willie going public domain: part of the short now appears as part of their film logo in movies, presumably to enable them to claim it as trademark and sue anyone who tries to upload it into oblivion. Nevertheless, I fully expect quite a few people to do stuff like upload Steamboat Willie to Youtube in January, and it will be interesting to see what the response of that is.
- jjulius 3y agoWhere it also gets tricky is the creation of additional Steamboat Willie content - if you want to create and publish new Steamboat Willie stuff, you'll have to be crystal clear that it's not coming from Disney. If it looks like it's coming from Disney, that's when they can step in.
- jcranmer 3y agoLegally speaking, they have a right to distribute copies. But Youtube isn't required to accept it though, and their copyright claim system is already somewhat notorious for the degree to which non-copyright owners to try to strike down videos for claimed copyright infringement. Steamboat Willie is probably the single most famous work to fall into the public domain since Youtube started. It is (formerly) owned by one of the most famously aggressive company in protecting IP. Youtube itself is also owned by an entity that is on the other side of IP law than Disney, but definitely far less aggressive in pushing those claims.
- kevinmchugh 3y agoYou have to make pains to not look like you're representing yourself as Disney, _and_ you can't step on anything Disney did in later Mickey cartoons
- avar 3y agoSure you can. You just can't infringe subsequent copyrighted works. But if there's an episode where that character goes to space or whatever your derivative work can do that too.
- justinclift 3y agoHmmm, is the term "Mickey Mouse" trademarked? As in, would a new name be needed for any new "Mickey Mouse" animation created using the old Steamboat Willie (mouse) character?
- kej 3y agoMickey Mouse is trademarked as a word and as a picture and all kinds of derivatives like the silhouette of his head or the design of the eared hats. You can't use him as a symbol of your business or to suggest that your product comes from Disney, but none of that will stop you from making a new creative work featuring Mickey as he appeared in Steamboat Willie any more than McDonald's can stop you from writing a book where characters eat a Happy Meal.
- justinclift 3y agoMakes sense, thanks. :)