YouTube channels are still getting copyright claims from Disney for including footage from Steamboat Willie, despite the original film having entered the public domain.
The whole world rejoiced on January 1, 2024, when Disney’s Steamboat Willie entered the public domain after years of fighting copyright law. The entertainment giant’s cartoon, that would eventually develop into Mickey Mouse, was of course quickly used for many strange new products, including a dodgy horror game.
But maybe the creators out there aren’t as safe as we first thought.
YouTuber Gets Copyright Claim By Disney For Using Steamboat Willie Content
Voice actor and content creator Brock Baker caused quite a stir on Twitter/X when he revealed, that one of his videos, which used footage from Steamboat Willie, got a copyright claim from Disney. This claim was later dropped, but the trouble didn’t stop there.
Baker later got another claim, this time from the Universal Music Group (UMG). Universal is getting involved here, as they own the rights to the soundtrack of Steamboat Willie. However, this claim was also dropped.
I win again!...for now... https://t.co/XpuGk2fOwe pic.twitter.com/jl5G7Z6RcB
— Brock Baker (@BrockBaker) January 9, 2024
Why this happened is not quite clear and involves a lot of complex legal issues. What has most likely led to hang-ups here, and will probably continue to do so, is that Mickey Mouse is still a trademark of Disney’s. Only the original Steamboat Willie movie entered public domain, not the numerous characters that spawned from it.
Steamboat Willie entering the public domain is also still very fresh, so it might just take time for things to iron out and for cases like this one to be avoided.