Is Minnie Mouse in the public domain?

❘ Updated: 2024-01-02T18:24:09

Disney

There’s been a lot of recent talk about Disney’s Mickey Mouse and the public domain, but what about Minnie Mouse?

If you’ve been hearing the words “public domain” a lot lately, that’s because a major player has stepped into the ring: Disney.

After the creation of Mickey Mouse and Steamboat Willie back in the 1920s, now the public is able to create all their own kind of stories with the mouse – with some caveats of course, which we explain all about here. Because of this, we’ve already got a Mickey horror movie on the way.

But what about another big Disney character? Mickey wasn’t the only mouse in Steamboat Willie, so what about Minnie Mouse?

Is Minnie Mouse in the public domain?

Yes, as of January 1, 2024, Minnie Mouse is now in the public domain – however, like with Mickey Mouse, there is still some legal fine print.

Like Mickey, a specific version of Minnie Mouse – the version that appeared in the 1928 short Steamboat Willie – is now in the public domain, meaning that in the U.S. she can legally be shared and repurposed in creative works without needing permission or paying fees.

However, Disney still owns the rights to later iterations of the characters – meaning the iterations of the characters that we likely know best – and public domain and copyright laws may vary by country. So if you’re thinking of making a new Minnie Mouse movie, tread carefully.

Steamboat Willie, along with other works published in 1928 were originally supposed to enter public domain back in 2004, but after Disney and other copyright holders lobbied for more time, the U.S. Congress passed the 1998 Copyright Term Extension Act, which added another 20 years of copyright protection.

Steamboat Willie also still sails under Disney flag, as it is available to stream on Disney+.

As for other Disney characters now in the public domain for 2024, there’s Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, and and J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan theatrical play. Now, the specific Disney versions aren’t public domain, but no doubt some similarities will pop up as the public makes new projects with these characters.

Check out our other Disney content here, and more about Mickey and Minnie Mouse entering public domain below: