"After 95 years disney's first creation is in the public, how were they able to keep him for so long? What is happening now people have creative freedom with him?"--poppy zaiger, 8th grade
Steamboat Willie was Disney’s first ever creation, dating back to 1928. This eight minute short marked the beginning of a new era for animation, and after 95 years of Disney clutching the character in their icy cold hands, the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse was finally released on January 1, 2024.
This dragged out copyright claim was best described by Duke University. “It was initially set to enter the public domain in 1984, after a 56-year term. An expansion in 1978 pushed the date forward to 2004. Then in 1998 it was delayed until 2024 by the Copyright Term Extension Act.”
But how was Disney able to push their copyright claim so many times for so long? The reason is a system called lobbying. Simply put, lobbying is when a group of people or a corporation try to influence government decisions, usually by donating money to politicians.
The first time Disney lobbied to extend copyright was in 1978. The law extended their copyright to 75 years from the original date it was published. This pushed the expiration date to 2004.
The second time Disney lobbied for a copyright extension was for the Copyright Term Extension Act. According to congress.gov the Copyright Term Extension Act, “Extends the duration of copyrights in their renewal term at the time of the effective date of this act to 95 years from the date such copyrights were originally secured.”
This dragged out copyright claim was best described by Duke University. “It was initially set to enter the public domain in 1984, after a 56-year term. An expansion in 1978 pushed the date forward to 2004. Then in 1998 it was delayed until 2024 by the Copyright Term Extension Act.”
But how was Disney able to push their copyright claim so many times for so long? The reason is a system called lobbying. Simply put, lobbying is when a group of people or a corporation try to influence government decisions, usually by donating money to politicians.
The first time Disney lobbied to extend copyright was in 1978. The law extended their copyright to 75 years from the original date it was published. This pushed the expiration date to 2004.
The second time Disney lobbied for a copyright extension was for the Copyright Term Extension Act. According to congress.gov the Copyright Term Extension Act, “Extends the duration of copyrights in their renewal term at the time of the effective date of this act to 95 years from the date such copyrights were originally secured.”
It has been over a month since the bomb was dropped, and the fallout has been disastrous. On the day of release, Cryptocurrency scams were being posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). In addition, there were artists drawing the mouse, some people even congratulating him, and then there were trailers for the upcoming movie and video game. There are four confirmed high profile projects that revolve around Steamboat Willie, two games, two movies, and all of them are horror related.
The most well known project is Mickey’s Mouse Trap. A horror movie set to release in March 2024. The Trailer released exactly when Steamboat Willie’s copyright expired, it became a laughing stock as people pointed out how bad the audio was and how boring and played-out the story line was. The BBC released an article that interviewed the writer/producer/main villain of Mickey’s Mouse Trap Simon Phillips, who said,, "People need to not take it too seriously, we made a ridiculously fun movie," said who wrote and produced the film “and plays the man behind the Mickey mask.”
The writer of the BBC article, Noor Nanji, also made the connection to last year’s Winnie the Pooh, Blood and Honey, which is also a horror movie that uses famous expired characters. Nanji wrote, “Mickey's not the first childhood character to be given the horror movie treatment. When Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain, the loveable bear was turned into the R rated horror film Blood and Honey, which was one of last year's worst-rated films.”
The writer of the BBC article, Noor Nanji, also made the connection to last year’s Winnie the Pooh, Blood and Honey, which is also a horror movie that uses famous expired characters. Nanji wrote, “Mickey's not the first childhood character to be given the horror movie treatment. When Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain, the loveable bear was turned into the R rated horror film Blood and Honey, which was one of last year's worst-rated films.”
The project that has the most information about it is the horror video game. Captain Willie, posted on itch.io by the developers Buggata, Roobs, and Meikapoika. Captain Willie' is the only announced project that has been released, with maybe more content coming in the near future.
Many players are gravitating towards its simple yet competent art style. The game has 4/5 stars and players left positive reviews,
“First off I love the art style of this game, really captured the old timey vibe. While the chores feel really monotonous, it’s nothing a little editing can’t fix. This game was a lot of fun to play! Amazing work,” posted one reviewer.
“Great game,” posted another.
“Loved this game, creeped me out without loud jumpscares or noises and it had that old timey look.”
The support of the game led the developers to add a tag at the download saying, “We are immensely grateful for the overwhelming support we’ve received. The response to our game was beyond expectations, gaining significant attention in such a short span. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has played the game, and a special shout out to the incredible content creators who have contributed to its success. Your enthusiasm means the world to us! - Devs.”
Many players are gravitating towards its simple yet competent art style. The game has 4/5 stars and players left positive reviews,
“First off I love the art style of this game, really captured the old timey vibe. While the chores feel really monotonous, it’s nothing a little editing can’t fix. This game was a lot of fun to play! Amazing work,” posted one reviewer.
“Great game,” posted another.
“Loved this game, creeped me out without loud jumpscares or noises and it had that old timey look.”
The support of the game led the developers to add a tag at the download saying, “We are immensely grateful for the overwhelming support we’ve received. The response to our game was beyond expectations, gaining significant attention in such a short span. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has played the game, and a special shout out to the incredible content creators who have contributed to its success. Your enthusiasm means the world to us! - Devs.”
The strangest project on this list is untitled, the movie has been dubbed the “Untitled Mickey Mouse horror film.”There is no trailer, no release date, the only information given is the poster and the movie’s IMDB page. The only thing on said IMDB page is the summary that reads, “A late night boat ride turns into a desperate fight for the survival of New York city when a mischievous mouse becomes a monstrous reality. Can a motley crew survive a killer creature with a taste for tourists?” and the credits list only one person on it, director Steven LaMorte. LaMorte is known for his other film The Mean One which is a Grinch parody horror film, which came out in 2022. IMDB gave it a 3.8/10 and Rotten Tomatoes critics' score was 22% .
Unlike Captain Willie, the other game Infestation Origins has some controversy. When the trailer was published the project went under the name “Infestation 88,” and many people pointed out that the number 88 could be an anti-semitic dog whistle. Miles Klee from the Rolling Stone wrote, “Initially titled “Infestation 88,” its developers at Nightmare Forge Games hastily retitled the game Infestation: Origins on Tuesday after many on social media pointed out that the number 88 — sometimes used as code for “Heil Hitler,” as “H” is the eighth letter of the alphabet — looked highly suspicious in conjunction with other stylistic choices.”
“Observers were particularly alarmed at Nightmare Forge’s descriptions of “exterminators” killing humanoid, ratlike “vermin” with pesticide — language and specifics that echoed the rhetoric and murderous violence of the Holocaust,” the article continued.
The developers of Infestation: Origins’, Nightmare Forge Games, have little known about them. Despite starting in 2010 the only game listed is their steamboat Willie horror game.
Surprisingly there was an update to this catalog with a teaser trailer coming out for the movie The Return of Steamboat Willie. The description on the trailer reads, “After 95 years of being locked away, he wants his steamboat back. Check out this creepy trailer for The Return of Steamboat Willie, an upcoming new film created in Unreal Engine by Fewture Studios.” This project cements itself as the first animated Steamboat Willie horror movie.
Despite how crazy this situation is, it definitely won’t be the last time something like this will happen. It happened with Winnie the Pooh, it will happen with Steamboat Willie’s red pants wearing brother Mickey Mouse, and it will happen again with popular characters in the future. Get ready for the next Public Domain day!
“Observers were particularly alarmed at Nightmare Forge’s descriptions of “exterminators” killing humanoid, ratlike “vermin” with pesticide — language and specifics that echoed the rhetoric and murderous violence of the Holocaust,” the article continued.
The developers of Infestation: Origins’, Nightmare Forge Games, have little known about them. Despite starting in 2010 the only game listed is their steamboat Willie horror game.
Surprisingly there was an update to this catalog with a teaser trailer coming out for the movie The Return of Steamboat Willie. The description on the trailer reads, “After 95 years of being locked away, he wants his steamboat back. Check out this creepy trailer for The Return of Steamboat Willie, an upcoming new film created in Unreal Engine by Fewture Studios.” This project cements itself as the first animated Steamboat Willie horror movie.
Despite how crazy this situation is, it definitely won’t be the last time something like this will happen. It happened with Winnie the Pooh, it will happen with Steamboat Willie’s red pants wearing brother Mickey Mouse, and it will happen again with popular characters in the future. Get ready for the next Public Domain day!
