• News

  • TV & Film

  • PlayStation

  • Xbox

  • Nintendo

  • PC

  • Reviews

  • News

  • TV & Film

  • PlayStation

  • Xbox

  • Nintendo

  • PC

  • Reviews

  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Threads
Submit Your Content
Disney Set To Lose The Rights To Mickey Mouse

Home> News

Published 10:30 12 May 2022 GMT+1

Disney Set To Lose The Rights To Mickey Mouse

The House Of... um, never mind

Ewan Moore

Ewan Moore

Disney may be about to lose the rights to its most well-known and beloved character, it has emerged.

As reported by Deadline, Republican Senator Josh Hawley has proposed a bill that, if passed, would see Disney lose the copyright for the original Mickey Mouse

The bill is aimed at reducing copyright protections from 95 years to just 56 if successful, which would mean Disney instantly loses some of its older copyrights.

The bill would only apply to entertainment and theme park companies with a market capitalization of more than $150 billion. It's worth noting that it also includes a provision to delay any action for up to 10 years.

Hawley said in a press release: "The age of Republican handouts to Big Business is over. Thanks to special copyright protections from Congress, woke corporations like Disney have earned billions while increasingly pandering to woke activists. It's time to take away Disney's special privileges and open up a new era of creativity and innovation."

Mickey Mouse was originally created way back in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The character has gone on to become Disney's mascot, and one of the most recognisable cartoon characters on the planet. But you already know all that, because it's Mickey bloody Mouse.

Hawley's proposed bill comes after Disney spoke out against the Parental Rights in Education Law, which prohibits discussion of gender identity in schools until third grade.

Keith Kupferschmid, CEO of the Copyright Alliance, argued in a statement on Tuesday, "This legislation would harm those millions of everyday Americans in all fifty states who rely on copyright for their livelihoods in creative industries largely dominated by independent and small businesses."

Deadline notes that Hawley's bill is unlikely to find much success, citing a Democrat-controlled Senate as just one of the reasons. Sen. It also points out that Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on intellectual property, is viewed as a "big booster for the entertainment industry when it comes to fighting piracy and bolstering copyright protections".

Featured Image Credit: Disney

Topics: tv film, Disney

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
8 hours ago
10 hours ago
12 hours ago
  • 7 hours ago

    Red Dead Redemption 2 free download adds a thrilling new open-world challenge

    I fought the law

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    Steam just added 4 more free games in latest giveaway

    PC players are in for yet another treat courtesy of Steam

    News
  • 10 hours ago

    Battlefield meets Dark Souls in new RPG unlike anything you’ve seen before

    You can shoot guns on top of a wolf?! Game of the year.

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    The Elder Scrolls 6 leaked trailer has fans losing their minds

    The hype is worth the wait

    News