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 abouthere. Because of this, we’ve already got aMickey horror movieon 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?
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 also still sails under Disney flag, as it is available to stream onDisney+.
Check out our other Disney contenthere, and more about Mickey and Minnie Mouse entering public domain below:
Lucy-Jo was a Movies and TV Writer at Dexerto, and has previously written for Screen Rant and Girls on Tops. After earning a Master’s Degree in Film and Literature, Lucy-Jo now loves covering films, TV shows, and anime, especially if it’s something by Mike Flanagan, or anything drenched in camp.
