The Walt Disney Company’s Mickey Mouse mascot from an earlier era has skyrocketed in popularity as a nonfungible token (NFT) on the OpenSea marketplace. This version of Mickey, featured in the 1928 short film “Steamboat Willie,” has entered the public domain for the first time as its copyright has expired after almost a century. According to United States law, copyright can only be held for up to 95 years, leading to Disney’s claim on this particular version of the character coming to an end.
As a result of the copyright expiration, three NFT collections associated with the vintage mascot have dominated the top spots on OpenSea’s trending list for 24 hours. The collection named “Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024” has secured the number one spot, generating approximately $1.2 million in trading volume. The “Steamboat Willie” collection occupies the second spot on the list, while “Steamboat Willie’s Riverboat” holds the third position.
In addition to the trending list, the Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024 collection has also claimed the sixth spot on OpenSea’s 24-hour top charts, alongside popular collections such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Pudgy Penguins. The Steamboat Willie collection has also earned the eighth position on the same list.
Despite the expiration of copyright for this version of Mickey Mouse, Disney has clarified that modern iterations of the character will remain unaffected by Steamboat Willie’s public domain status. The company emphasized its commitment to protecting the rights of its modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other copyrighted works to prevent consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of iconic characters.
It is important to note that Disney’s statement does not apply to the vintage Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse, which has now become a highly sought-after piece in the NFT space.