Public Domain Day is an annual event in which several famous characters are moved from private ownership into the public domain. Prior to 1978, a character’s Public Domain Day would be set to be 95 years from the date in which they were published. However, after the aforementioned date, a general rule for copyright is the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For Steamboat Willie, an earlier version of Mickey Mouse, 2024 marked the year in which he entered the public domain.
“I feel like [Public Domain Day] destroys the meaning of creativity and the value to the artwork of artists,” freshman Alphonse Jaision said.
Many characters’ copyrights ended including the likes of Steamboat Willie, Peter Pan, Charlie Chaplin’s “The Circus,” Tigger from “Winnie the Pooh” and more.
“Many of those characters are beloved by people of all ages, especially kids, and represent something for them,” social studies teacher Mr. Chuba said. “When they enter the public domain, people may change them for the worse, which could possibly affect them in a negative way.”
Steamboat Willie, debuting in 1928, is a popular and highly acclaimed animated short film starring an early version of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The short film, directed by Walt Disney, revolutionized animation, as it contained synchronized sound and a complete post-produced soundtrack, one of the first features to do this in its time. The greyscale, captain of a ship, whistling Mickey Mouse, is seen at the start of many movies and is remembered by millions across the globe.
“I’m hoping that Steamboat Willie isn’t used for things that are too bad,” freshman Ethan Situ said. “There’s already things like horror movies and games planned, but I’ve also seen a game where he’s going through the public domain and exploring. I think it could be used for amazing projects, but could also be used for cash grabs.”
Now, the nostalgic piece can be used by anyone, anywhere, for any reason. It is truly up to speculation what individuals will do with this newfound right, whether for exploitation or entertainment purposes. Either way, NHP seems to have split opinions on Steamboat Willie’s newfound entrance to the public domain and Public Domain Day as a whole.
