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Blake, Wm. St. Paul Preaching in Athens. 1780.

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Early versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse are now part of the public domain, allowing free use and reinterpretation by artists and creators.

The reason for this is copyright law: U.S. law allows copyright to be held for 95 years, after which it enters the public domain. Modern versions of the iconic character will remain unaffected.

People can now creatively reuse the Mickey Mouse from “Steamboat Willie.” Examples include incorporating clips in an art project or selling a T-shirt reproducing a frame. But if those items infringe on the overall trademark of Mickey Mouse, Disney can still sue.

Jennifer Jenkins, director of the Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain: “This is a big one. It’s generating so much excitement in the copyright community—it’s finally happening.”

Lawrence Lessig, Harvard law professor: “Let’s hope it’s the opening of a new chapter. The biggest weakness in copyright is that we have no way to know who owns what. It’s the most inefficient property system known to man.”