Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
11h ago

Morgan & Morgan Sues Disney Seeking Court OK to Air 'Steamboat Willie' Ad

The filing asks a judge to resolve whether a public-domain cartoon can appear in a commercial without infringing Disney trademarks.

FILE - Walt Disney, creator of Mickey Mouse, poses at the Pancoast Hotel in Miami, Fla., on Aug. 13, 1941. (AP Photo, File)
Mickey Mouse in “Steamboat Willie”. (Disney Enterprises, Inc.)

Overview

  • Morgan & Morgan filed a declaratory-judgment suit on Sept. 17 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Orlando.
  • Steamboat Willie entered the public domain in 2024, but Disney asserts trademark rights in later iterations of Mickey that could implicate consumer confusion.
  • The firm told Disney on July 15 it planned to use an adaptation in an ad, and Disney’s counsel declined to give guidance or disclaim enforcement.
  • The proposed 37‑second spot shows a Mickey‑like character crashing a boat into a car, includes a clear disclaimer of Disney’s approval, and is intended for nationwide TV and online placement.
  • The complaint cites Disney’s July 16 lawsuit against a jewelry seller over Steamboat Willie elements to show an enforcement posture, and Disney did not immediately comment.