Disney IP’s will soon start to become Public domain, unless…

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    Disney Risks Losing Copyright Protection on Some of Its Most Iconic and Lucrative Characters

    The Mickey Mouse Protection Act

    U.S. copyright law is generally limited to the life of the author plus an additional 70 years.

    And then in came Disney;

    There are, of course, exceptions. The Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 addresses when a creation is a “work for hire,” which protects a company’s copyright for 95 years from first publication or 120 years after its creation, whichever ends sooner.

    This extension came into being after Disney successfully lobbied Congress and has been dubbed “The Mickey Mouse Protection Act” after numerous campaigns to protect one of the world’s most recognizable characters.

    Rules for thee, not for me!

    It’s important to note a few important legal distinctions. Beginning in 2022, Disney won’t be able to sue anyone that uses A.A. Milne’s original Winnie-the-Pooh stories as inspiration, adapting the fictional bear for new projects or original creative works. The original line drawings from the book, penned by E.H. Shepard, will also be fair game.

    So what isn’t?

    Disney can, however, go after anyone that tries to use Disney’s version of Winnie the Pooh and the trademarked characters it created based on Milne’s stories.

    So what else can they do?

    There’s also the potential that Disney could once again try to extend the copyright on Winnie the Pooh, though many legal experts believe that would be a long shot.

    This wouldn’t be the first time Disney sought to revise the rules regarding copyrighted characters and how the company proceeds could have important implications for the company’s future.

    Well, we have seen in comics how they (Marvel & DC) and been altering the various IP’s to get around/prolong their use of the characters.

    And with how so much pop culture being altered/edited, if they can’t bribe congress to once again change the rule in their favour…

     

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