The first released Mickey Mouse sound cartoon and the 1928 Mickey and Minnie designs became free in the US in 2024.
| Where | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Free since 2024 |
Limits
Disney's Mickey trademarks are very much alive: no use that looks like an official Disney product. Later features (white gloves, colour) stay protected until their own dates.
Ideas
Parody, horror films, art built on the 1928 design.
Sources
Checked 31 October 2026. Report a correction.
More characters
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Coming 2027Pluto (named, as Mickey's dog)Walt Disney Productions · 1931 · Characters
The Moose Hunt (1931) is the first cartoon where the dog is called Pluto and belongs to Mickey. That version joins Rover (1930) in the US public domain.
US 2027 -
Coming 2027Pietr the Latvian (first Maigret)Georges Simenon · 1931 · Characters
The first novel with Inspector Maigret, in its original French, is free in the US.
US 2027 -
Coming 2027The Living Shadow (The Shadow)Walter B. Gibson · 1931 · Characters
The first pulp novel starring The Shadow, the cloaked vigilante who inspired Batman.
US 2027 -
Coming 2027Tintin in the Congo (original black-and-white)Hergé · 1931 · Characters
The original French album of Tintin's second adventure is free in the US, along with the first pages of Tintin in America.
US 2027 -
New in 2026Betty Boop (1930 debut)Fleischer Studios · 1930 · Characters
Betty Boop's first appearances (Dizzy Dishes and three other 1930 cartoons), when she still had dog ears.
US 2026 -
New in 2026Nancy Drew (first four books)Carolyn Keene (Mildred Benson) · 1930 · Characters
The original texts of the first four Nancy Drew books, starting with The Secret of the Old Clock, and the character as introduced.
US 2026
General information, not legal advice. Copyright, patent and trademark status differs by country, edition and translation: check before you publish or sell. Full disclaimer