If you're the creative type and struggling to come up with your next idea, fear not: On January 1, 2024, some great works, including the original version of Mickey Mouse, entered the public domain in the US.
If you prefer Disney characters to be cute, cuddly and never change, well... you might want to stop reading.
In 2024, thousands of copyrighted works published in 1928 will enter the public domain after their 95-year term has expired, the New York Times reports.
This means that these characters and stories can be reworked - on the page, stage or screen - without permission. (I can finally do the musical "Peter Pan" where middle-aged Peter complains of unexplained back pain at the end of the first act).
"This is important for the preservation of our cultural archive, for full access to older works to inspire future creativity," said Jennifer Jenkins, director of the Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke Law School.
The crème de la creme of this year's public domain rankings are Mickey Mouse and, of course, Minnie, or at least the black-and-white versions of our favorite squeaky rodents that appeared in "Steamboat Willie." The Walt Disney Co. is known for litigating, and this copyright covers only the original versions of the characters./BGNES
