The original design of Mickey Mouse from the 1928 animated short Steamboat Willie officially entered the public domain on January 1, triggering a flood of parodies and memes. Not to mention, a handful ...

Andrew McGowan studied at Bowdoin College and the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. Hs has served on programming and judicial teams for several film festivals, and has written about cinema ...

Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. When Walt Disney first released the cartoon short film Steamboat Willie in ...

The new year marks the nerdiest holiday you maybe didn’t know about: Public Domain Day. But this year’s celebration is extra special. After years of legal battles, “Steamboat Willie,” a 1928 Walt ...

The copyright on Mickey Mouse expires today, meaning The Walt Disney Company no longer has the exclusive rights to the character. Does this mean you can put Mickey in your own cartoon? Not exactly.