Papering the record for appeal.
January 1, 2024
Monday
Free Willie
¶Happy New Year, and Happy Public Domain Day! 2024 is a big one on the copyright front. Steamboat Willie, which I’ve always viewed as sort of an adolescent version of Mickey Mouse, is officially in the public domain as of today.
¶Copyright expiration pushes works into the public domain every January 1st, but this one certainly lands with a thud.
¶I’m sure we’ll see all sorts of interesting adaptations of Steamboat Willie in 2024. Should be fun to watch!
Please use the direct URL below when referencing this post. If you’d like to reference this day’s page in general, use the day URL below. You can refer to me as “Matt” or “Matt Buchanan” and the site as “Some Was True”.
Some Was True publishes daily observations and commentary on everything from culture and history to sports and technology. You'll probably learn something each time you visit the site. And sources will be cited. The About page has more information about the background of the site and details on how content is organized.