Happy New Year to everyone-EXCEPT DISNEY in some way. Although you can see it online on their website: https://video.disney.com/watch/stea.....b375f7476ada2c , by what the US copyright law is saying, despite of extensions, anything that is of 95 years old or more can now be in public domain. As we can see the noticeable whistling of Mickey Mouse when we do see the bumper of Walt Disney Animation Studios, that noticeable whistle from Mickey and the earlier concept of him, along with a short time of seeing Minnie can now be posted WITHOUT penalty. In addition, anyone who can come up with the drawing of these two mice in the draw of the earlier concept can not be under copyright infringement. As we do see in the Australian news from the Nine Network ( https://www.nine.com.au/ ), you can reuse, but you CAN'T trademark the two.
Here is what the 9 Network says:



As there is a difference between copyright and trademark, trademarking is something that is true to the identity of a character, so it will be forever that Steamboat Willie's first draw of Mickey and Minnie are still synonym to Disney, but what trademark does not cover is how THEY ARE DRAWN. Therefore, if you draw just like the 1928 versions of the Disney mice, the company will have no say on the matter.

So then if you do see this below on YouTube and you repost to put it on your blog or public journal, Instagram or anyplace else, YOU ARE SAFE-US law will not attack you. So then let us see for the fullest, Walt E. Disney's first ever draw of his mice on "Steamboat Willie," uploaded by this user- https://www.youtube.com/@natenkerman9868 (Yes, you will have to GO to the site.):


Though it actually says 1929 on the intro, it is actually 1928 that it was done. Of course, when you see the Nine News vid above, yes, Pooh was reformed, and A.A. Milne's estate can't do anything about it. I have heard that soon, more characters will follow- there will be Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes and many more that will be duplicated by anyone in the US, but it can be done in other countries as well.

Even though it can be stored in museums, national archives, company archives and even government-regulated curations, they can't stop others from making duplicates.

Do keep in mind of these things when it comes to your arts many years ahead in the future. If it is for selling, it is going to be duplicated for 95 years down the line. Of course there can be exceptions-extremely for example, the Mona Lisa at The Louvre, but it is the mantra of "nothing lasts forever"- copyright like what has happened to "Steamboat Willie" right now is an example we should look at. So although you could be making money now and have your draws, sculptures and even movies be you and you have control of them when you LIVE, after your time is up and you are either dust or 6 feet under, it will be a matter of time that whatever you have made will be for anyone to duplicate and alter to put into their media without penalty and without any required reference (opposite is plagiarism) that they have to do in the future. If you have a trust or estate, their time is limited as well in controlling such property. KEEP IN MIND OF THAT....