Image Analysis: An Abstract Mickey
The artwork presents an abstracted and distorted version of the iconic Mickey Mouse, specifically in his earliest form from the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie. The character's classic black-and-white design is visible, but it is stretched and warped, blending into a swirling, psychedelic background of various colors, including greens, purples, and reds. The image has a surreal, almost melting quality, which transforms the familiar character into a piece of modern, experimental art.
Character & Copyright Expiration
The character depicted is the original, non-speaking version of Mickey Mouse as he appeared in Steamboat Willie, which premiered on November 18, 1928.
The copyright for this version of Mickey Mouse was originally intended to expire several times but was extended by changes in U.S. copyright law. Under the initial law at the time of its creation, the copyright would have lasted for a specific term and then entered the public domain. However, a series of legislative changes, most notably the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 (also known as the "Sonny Bono Act"), extended the term for works created between 1923 and 1977 to 95 years from their publication date.
As a result, the first time the original version of Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie officially entered the public domain was on January 1, 2024, which marked the 95th anniversary of the film's publication. It's important to note that this only applies to the specific, non-speaking version of the character from that film and not to later iterations or the broader Disney brand and trademarks.
