Commons:Character copyrights
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Per COM:CHARACTER, all appearances of a character are covered by copyright so long as the character's first appearance is still protected by copyright, even if those appearances are in otherwise public domain works. The following table gives the copyright information for various popular characters:
| Character | First appearance | Source country | Expiration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Felix the Cat | Feline Follies (1919) | United States | 1995 | |
| Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | Trolley Troubles (1927) | United States | 2023 | Later redesigns by Manuel Moreno may still be copyrighted. |
| Mickey Mouse | Steamboat Willie (1928) | United States | 2024 | Disney's copyright on Steamboat Willie is disputed due to ambiguity in the copyright notice.[1] |
| Minnie Mouse | Steamboat Willie (1928) | United States | 2024 | |
| Popeye | Thimble Theatre (1929) | United States | 2025 | |
| Betty Boop | Dizzy Dishes (1930) | United States | 2026 | |
| Donald Duck | The Adventures of Mickey Mouse (1931) | United States | 2027 | |
| Porky Pig | I Haven't Got a Hat (1935) | United States | 2031 | |
| Daffy Duck | Porky's Duck Hunt (1937) | United States | 2033 | |
| Superman | Action Comics #1 (1938) | United States | 2034 | |
| Tom Cat | Puss Gets the Boot (1940) | United States | 2036 | |
| Jerry Mouse | Puss Gets the Boot (1940) | United States | 2036 | |
| Bugs Bunny | A Wild Hare (1940) | United States | 2036 | |
| Woody Woodpecker | Knock Knock (1940) | United States | 2036 | |
| Winnie the Pooh | Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) | United Kingdom | 2047* | *Some Pooh works were simultaneously published in the United States so they're public domain for our purposes. Later designs such as the Walt Disney Studios ones are still under U.S. copyright |
References[edit]
- ↑ Menn, Joseph (August 22, 2008). "Disney's rights to young Mickey Mouse may be wrong". Los Angeles Times.