The Walt Disney Firm has not too long ago parted methods with its earliest model of the Mickey Mouse character. Following the copyright expiration of the rodent-themed mascot, three NFT collections related to the character have emerged on OpenSea, rating among the many trending collections within the NFT market.
In 1928, American animators Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, for the primary time, launched the Mickey Mouse character within the quick movie titled Steamboat Willie. In contrast to the current model of the character, the earliest model of Mickey Mouse has no white gloves or outsized footwear. Following its debut, the Mickey Mouse character has performed a vital function within the Walt Disney Firm’s model and popular culture, turning into a mascot.
Nevertheless, the corporate has now misplaced its copyright over the earliest model of the mouse-themed character. The U.S. copyright regulation, up to date in 1998, entailed that copyrights be held for 95 years earlier than coming into the general public area. The timeframe ended for the earliest Mickey Mouse model in late 2023.
Nonetheless, the Walt Disney Firm retains copyright possession over later Mickey Mouse variations. It implies that the agency can sue any entity that recreates an animated character resembling the Mickey Mouse character.
Following its entry into the general public area, a number of NFT collections have emerged, themed round Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse. In line with present information on OpenSea, an Ethereum-based NFT undertaking dubbed Steamboat Willie ranks because the #1 trending assortment. The gathering portrays 1,927 Mickey Mouse-themed objects with a flooring worth of 0.148 ETH.
Trailing the primary assortment is an NFT undertaking referred to as Steamboat Willie Public Area 2024. The gathering has a buying and selling quantity of 427 ETH, increased than the Steamboat Willie (174 ETH). It additionally has a flooring worth of 0.204 ETH. The third assortment among the many trending initiatives is Steamboat Willie’s Riverboat, with a flooring worth of 0.02 ETH and a buying and selling quantity of 17 ETH.
Though Disney has taken its Mickey Mouse mascot into the NFT realm, the most recent foray by particular person initiatives to advertise the character additional exhibits how animation, artwork, and non-fungibility may be bridged.
