Mickey Mouse is about to belong to you and me. The earliest version of Disney's most famous character, and arguably the most iconic character in American pop culture, will become public domain on Jan. 1, 2024. That's because the copyright on his first screen appearance, the 1928 short “Steamboat Willie,” is expiring. Many experts thought the day would never come. Congress in the past has extended the copyright period to assure it didn't happen. Minnie Mouse, who also appears in “Steamboat Willie,” also becomes public domain, as does Winnie the Pooh's friend Tigger as the book in which he first appeared in, “The House at Pooh Corner,” turns 96.
