Lots of copyright and Trademark info in this Mickey Mouse article

[idraw]

Lots of copyright and Trademark info in this Mickey Mouse article.
Try not to dwell on the political aspect,(that is not the reason I posted this) focus on the copyright and trademark information mentioned within the article.
<https://www.yahoo.com/now/republicans-trying-exterminate-mickey-mouse-120051541.html>
I notated a few relative points--(there's more)--
Like this:
..."The original Mickey Mouse copyright was set to expire in 1984 but has been extended twice by Congress at the behest of Disney and other media companies. The most recent extension came through the Copyright Term Extension Act in 1998, known to many as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act because of Disney's heavy lobbying in support of the bill."
and this:
..."the recent naming of Suzanne Wilson as the general counsel and associate register of copyrights for the United States Copyright Office. She formerly oversaw intellectual property and interactive and media legal functions for Walt Disney Co."
and then this: (general info about trademark)--
..."The most common penalty for trademark infringement is an injunction or a cease-and-desist letter directing the user to stop using the trademarked material. But courts can also impose hefty financial penalties on violators.

The trademark protection is enough to ensure that most businesses will think twice before using Mickey's image to sell products, legal experts say."

I did not have a question, posted this here instead of general discussion because there was copyright discussion here in this section already.
But wait, there's more good info, just go read the article...

[Windy]

Interesting article! Cute trick:

QUOTE It's possible that Disney is protecting Mickey in another subtle way: The company began several years ago to insert snippets of the "Steamboat Willie" cartoon at the opening logo for many modern Disney animations, including "Tangled," "Frozen" and "Moana."

It's a move that may establish the 1928 version of Mickey as a modern Disney logo or trademark, which would remain protected even if the copyright expires END QUOTE

[idraw · Accepted solution]

Hi Windy,
Glad to see SKs reading this, it was a real PITA trying to get the forum to accept the link. Took 4 tries, and several different articles from different sources before it took. Copyright and Trademark are elusive and sometimes mysterious for artists, so just trying to do my part to inform.
Here's a couple of older books that may still be accessible at the library or on the internet:
Licensing Art 101 by Michael Woodward
and
Patent,Copyright and Trademark, An Intellectual Property Desk Reference (NOLO)
by Attorney Richard Stim

[Windy]

It's  good info, and it helps me to understand the F. Scott Fitzgerald question which from time to time comes up in these forums. Though the works may have lapsed in copyright, the heirs for some reason trademarked the name of the author of the works, in hopes of protecting his posthumous reputation (I guess)

[KeegansCreation]

Even if their copyright to Steamboat Willie and the mouse therein doesn't get renewed, I won't mess with any of it. They still retain trademark and making a work that uses a public domain Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse without infringing on trademark is the kind of subtle I can't pull off. Banksy or somebody similar could do it. I can't. And Zazzle likely wouldn't want to mess with that either.

It is interesting though. I look forward to the arcane uses somebody will think up if this happens. Robert Armstrong pulled off Mickey Rat in the 70's by having it be an obvious parody. (So did my favorite pinball parlor in the town where I grew up, which is why I know about Robert Armstrong.) Some great art will be made from this if it goes into public domain, but not by me.

[idraw]

OhMyRat!

I still have my Mickey Rat pin! (These are a few from back when I collected pins)Along with Peace,Felix the Cat, and Betty Boop.

Here is a photo I just took of them:

[KeegansCreation]

😍

[Windy]

This takes me back. When I was a really little kid I could not get enough of Felix the Cat!

[idraw]

And now I have the Felix the cat song repeating in my head, thanks a lot!
Felix the cat The wonderful wonderful cat. Whenever he gets in a fix. He reaches into his bag of tricks.

[Windy]

There was a SONG? I remember so little about this....and the reason is that there was no such thing as videotape then. So I could watch something on TV once. If my mom let me. And if we had time. And if we weren't out in the garden. And if I wasn't playing with the kids down the street. Once. I could watch once. No rewind, no play it again. I could watch once. And that was it! Until the next week, when maybe I could watch again. Maybe. But mostly not.  There were a few shows I could not get enough of, the Jetsons, Astroboy, Rocky and Bullwinkle. And Felix the Cat! And I probably saw each of them no more than three times.

This airwaves-can't-be-played-back limit to my TV viewing was probably a very good thing.

[idraw]

Here ya go—-the original Felix the cat song—

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2YJduDyFA4

and “the evolution of Felix the cat” (Felix was created and released before Mickey Mouse!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V27wIZ_vyc

[Cherie]

... aaand I'm singing it now .....  thanks  .....😑🙄🤗😆

[Scott]

This is not a question, so I'm moving this over to the General board so that it's seen by more folks.

[QuyenDoThiTu]

I also have a design for rat fink mickey mouse, it's printed on the carpet, I don't know if it's copyrighted or not