Steamboat Willie" Mickey Mouse NFTs Dominate OpenSea Following Copyright Expiration
Summary:
The original version of Mickey Mouse, first seen in the 1928 "Steamboat Willie" animation, has become the most popular non-fungible token (NFT) on OpenSea, following its entry into the public domain. This surge in popularity has led to related NFT collections dominating OpenSea's trending list. Despite the copyright expiration, Disney has affirmed that it will continue to protect its rights over modern versions of Mickey Mouse.
The earlier incarnation of The Walt Disney Company's beloved character, Mickey Mouse, has risen to the status of the most popular non-fungible token (NFT) on the OpenSea platform, following its entry into the public domain for the first time. On January 1, the copyright expired on the version of Mickey featured in the 1928 animation, "Steamboat Willie", as it reached the 95-year limit prescribed by U.S. law. This was a significant moment for the iconic mouse as "Steamboat Willie" was its debut to the public. After nearly a hundred years, Disney's legal claim over this rendition of Mickey came to an end, giving birth to three NFT collections associated with the early depiction. These collections dominated the top three positions on OpenSea's 24-hour trending list. The standout NFT range, called "Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024," topped the chart accounting for approximately $1.2 million of trading traffic. Two other collections labeled "Steamboat Willie" and "Steamboat Willie's Riverboat" secured the second and third slots respectively. Apart from featuring on the trending list, the "Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024" collection also occupied the sixth spot on OpenSea's 24-hour top chart, in the company of famed collectibles like the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Pudgy Penguins. Additionally, the original "Steamboat Willie" collection landed in the eighth place on the same listing. It is important to note that despite the expiry of the copyright for "Steamboat Willie," subsequent interpretations of Mickey Mouse remain under Disney's protection. Responding to this development, Disney reiterated that it will continue to secure its rights over current renditions of Mickey Mouse and other copyrighted works to prevent consumer confusion resulting from unauthorized usage of their renowned characters.
Published At
1/2/2024 11:40:32 AM
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