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Disney's (DIS) Earliest Mickey Mouse Set to Enter Public Domain
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Walt Disney’s (DIS - Free Report) earliest version of Mickey Mouse, specifically the Steamboat Willie persona created in 1928, is entering the public domain after 95 years of copyright protection in the United States. This marks the end of Disney's exclusive rights to the character's original form.
The earliest iteration of the company’s mascot could now be used in films, video games and other media without permission from its previous copyright holder.
Disney has been a significant cultural force in American childhood, shaping the popular perceptions of classic stories and characters. The company has historically been known for aggressive copyright protection efforts, including legal actions against those using its characters without permission.
The company has fought to preserve its ownership of Steamboat Willie, even influencing the 1998 Copyright Extension Act, which is often called the Mickey Mouse Protection Act.
Disney has stated that more modern versions of Mickey Mouse will remain unaffected by the Steamboat Willie copyright expiration. The company intends to continue protecting its rights in newer iterations of the character.
Mickey Mouse follows another childhood favorite Winnie the Pooh. A.A. Milne’s original Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain two years ago, resulting in the 2023 horror film, Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey.
Another famous animal sidekick, Tigger, will join his friend Winnie the Pooh in the public domain as the book The House at Pooh Corner, in which the bouncing tiger first appeared, turns 96.
Musical compositions, like the original version of Mack the Knife, which was written in German for an opera by Bertolt Brecht called The Threepenny Opera, and musical recordings like Dippermouth Blues, featuring Louis Armstrong, freed on Jan 1.
Disney’s Upcoming Pipeline to Aid Subscriber Growth
The expiration of Steamboat Willie's copyright comes at a time when Disney is facing various challenges. These include a culture war with Florida's governor over LGBTQ+ rights, financial difficulties with its streaming service Disney+ and a series of movie flops.
Despite the challenges, DIS has an extensive content bench, including Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, ABC, ESPN and Hulu, which is likely to aid top-line growth in the near term. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s fiscal 2024 paid subscribers on Disney+ is pegged at 157.13 million, indicating year-over-year growth of 4.61%. The consensus estimate for earnings is pegged at $4.38 per share, indicating year-over-year growth of 16.49%.
After a rough year critically and financially in 2023, Disney looks to recover in 2024 with some highly-anticipated theatrical outings, bringing multiple franchises and original stories into play for the studio.
These include The First Omen (Apr 5), Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (May 24), an untitled Deadpool movie (Jul 26), The Amateur (Nov 8) and Mufasa: The Lion King (Dec 20) among others.
The Indian pipeline of content includes titles like Periloor Premier League, The Legend Of Hanuman Season 3 and Karmaa Calling. These notable releases are expected to aid the company’s subscriber growth in the upcoming quarters.
Disney is bolstering its theatrical output by taking three Pixar films that originally went straight to streaming and putting them in theaters for the first time. Soul, Turning Red and Luca are set to release on Jan 12, Feb 9 and Mar 22, respectively. While the films have been accessible for up to three years, their theatrical run could still draw audiences, especially considering the enduring popularity of family-friendly films.
This move might also help build anticipation for upcoming Pixar releases, including Inside Out 2, which is set to hit theaters on Jun 14.
Disney’s movies are expected to face significant competition from Sony (SONY - Free Report) , Paramount Global (PARA - Free Report) and Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF.A - Free Report) . These competitors are slated to release some blockbuster movies in 2024, which will affect the box office collection of DIS throughout the year.
It also outperformed Paramount Global but underperformed Sony and Lionsgate. Shares of SONY and LGF.A have returned 3.4% and 23.6%, respectively, while shares of PARA have declined 9.4% over the past six months.
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Disney's (DIS) Earliest Mickey Mouse Set to Enter Public Domain
Walt Disney’s (DIS - Free Report) earliest version of Mickey Mouse, specifically the Steamboat Willie persona created in 1928, is entering the public domain after 95 years of copyright protection in the United States. This marks the end of Disney's exclusive rights to the character's original form.
The earliest iteration of the company’s mascot could now be used in films, video games and other media without permission from its previous copyright holder.
Disney has been a significant cultural force in American childhood, shaping the popular perceptions of classic stories and characters. The company has historically been known for aggressive copyright protection efforts, including legal actions against those using its characters without permission.
The company has fought to preserve its ownership of Steamboat Willie, even influencing the 1998 Copyright Extension Act, which is often called the Mickey Mouse Protection Act.
Disney has stated that more modern versions of Mickey Mouse will remain unaffected by the Steamboat Willie copyright expiration. The company intends to continue protecting its rights in newer iterations of the character.
Mickey Mouse follows another childhood favorite Winnie the Pooh. A.A. Milne’s original Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain two years ago, resulting in the 2023 horror film, Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey.
Another famous animal sidekick, Tigger, will join his friend Winnie the Pooh in the public domain as the book The House at Pooh Corner, in which the bouncing tiger first appeared, turns 96.
Musical compositions, like the original version of Mack the Knife, which was written in German for an opera by Bertolt Brecht called The Threepenny Opera, and musical recordings like Dippermouth Blues, featuring Louis Armstrong, freed on Jan 1.
The Walt Disney Company Price and Consensus
The Walt Disney Company price-consensus-chart | The Walt Disney Company Quote
Disney’s Upcoming Pipeline to Aid Subscriber Growth
The expiration of Steamboat Willie's copyright comes at a time when Disney is facing various challenges. These include a culture war with Florida's governor over LGBTQ+ rights, financial difficulties with its streaming service Disney+ and a series of movie flops.
Despite the challenges, DIS has an extensive content bench, including Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, ABC, ESPN and Hulu, which is likely to aid top-line growth in the near term. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s fiscal 2024 paid subscribers on Disney+ is pegged at 157.13 million, indicating year-over-year growth of 4.61%. The consensus estimate for earnings is pegged at $4.38 per share, indicating year-over-year growth of 16.49%.
After a rough year critically and financially in 2023, Disney looks to recover in 2024 with some highly-anticipated theatrical outings, bringing multiple franchises and original stories into play for the studio.
These include The First Omen (Apr 5), Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (May 24), an untitled Deadpool movie (Jul 26), The Amateur (Nov 8) and Mufasa: The Lion King (Dec 20) among others.
The Indian pipeline of content includes titles like Periloor Premier League, The Legend Of Hanuman Season 3 and Karmaa Calling. These notable releases are expected to aid the company’s subscriber growth in the upcoming quarters.
Disney is bolstering its theatrical output by taking three Pixar films that originally went straight to streaming and putting them in theaters for the first time. Soul, Turning Red and Luca are set to release on Jan 12, Feb 9 and Mar 22, respectively. While the films have been accessible for up to three years, their theatrical run could still draw audiences, especially considering the enduring popularity of family-friendly films.
This move might also help build anticipation for upcoming Pixar releases, including Inside Out 2, which is set to hit theaters on Jun 14.
Disney’s movies are expected to face significant competition from Sony (SONY - Free Report) , Paramount Global (PARA - Free Report) and Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF.A - Free Report) . These competitors are slated to release some blockbuster movies in 2024, which will affect the box office collection of DIS throughout the year.
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have declined 0.2% in the past six months against the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector’s rise of 4.3% due to the poor performance of the company’s recent movies at the box office. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It also outperformed Paramount Global but underperformed Sony and Lionsgate. Shares of SONY and LGF.A have returned 3.4% and 23.6%, respectively, while shares of PARA have declined 9.4% over the past six months.