Steamboat Willie Enters Public Domain, Adult Swim Airs Provocative Clip

Horror movies and video games featuring the early version of Mickey Mouse have already been released, while Disney retains trademark on later versions of the character.

Steamboat Willie, the early version of Mickey Mouse, entered the public domain on January 1, 2024.
Adult Swim aired a short clip of Steamboat Willie getting close to a slogan that reads 'public domain bitch'.
Horror movies and video games featuring Steamboat Willie have already been released.
Disney still owns the Mickey Mouse character through a trademark, protecting later versions of the character.
Adult Swim has a number of new projects in the works for 2024, but it is not clear if they plan to use Steamboat Willie in any of them.