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Disney has modern Mickey wrapped up in trademarks. It will be very interesting watching what Disney does when inevitably derivative works stray from steamboat Willie and approach the appearance of modern mickey.

Disney has been preparing for this day.

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I suspect that is why Disney has been using Steamboat Willy as its production logo in recent years. Let's wait to see how it shakes out in the courts - but perhaps the threats will be enough.

They might have a harder time fighting the use of Steamboat Willy considering that a trademark has less restrictions on its use than a copyrighted work.

That they get to fight at all may be the reasoning.

Seems like an awfully dangerous game to play imo.

The legal metagame around intellectual property has little to do with law as written and much to do with burying your opponent in spurious motions until they run out of money to defend. Odds are good Disney wins that fight against most comers.

Isn't that the point? Disney counts on having more $$$ and more lawyers than some random artist who might or might not have intruded on the remaining copyrights? So they can bully the artist into submission regardless of whether they are right or not.

They can do so, for minimal gain. And it’s possible they’ll lose despite $$$ which would be worse than having done nothing.

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