The early version of Mickey Mouse is no longer under Disney's legal ownership. As a result, it has been transferred to the blockchain in the form of an NFT.
On January 1st, the version of the world's most famous mouse featured in the 1928 short film "Steamboat Willie" became publicly available. This is due to the expiration of copyright laws, which in the United States allow for copyright to be owned for only 95 years. Mickey Mouse (at least in its original form) is now free!
This expiration of copyright presents an opportunity for NFT issuers. Three NFT collections related to Mickey have appeared on the market and currently occupy the top three spots on OpenSea's 24-hour trending list. The "Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024" NFT collection took first place after achieving a volume of trading worth approximately $1.2 million USD. The second place belongs to the series titled "Steamboat Willie," and third place belongs to "Steamboat Willie's Riverboat."
The "Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024" collection also landed in sixth place on OpenSea's 24-hour bestsellers list, joining the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Pudgy Penguins. The "Steamboat Willie" series landed in eighth place on the same list.
However, it's worth noting that Disney is not completely giving up. In a statement prepared for CNN, a spokesperson for the entertainment giant stated that the company plans to "continue to protect" its rights to Mickey Mouse, but only to its modern versions. "We'll work to protect consumers from confusion caused by unauthorized use of Mickey and our other iconic characters," they added.
In fact, it's important to emphasize that the company only lacks rights to the early version of the cartoon mouse. This does not apply to later incarnations. Use without Disney's permission, for example, of versions from the 90s, is still illegal. It's worth keeping in mind as NFTs related to modern Mickey could also appear on the market.
