Quote:
Originally Posted by crich70
But with characters like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny aren't they also a trademark or something not unlike the white polar bear and his bottle of coca cola? Just as the picture of the apple is part of the identity of Apple computers Mickey is linked with Disney. As the quote goes, "It all started with a mouse." Characters like Zorro, Cinderella, Snow White and others on the other hand existed before Walt Disney started his business. So there is a difference between them. Disney didn't invent them he just bought the film rights to the story in those cases.
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If the oldest Mickey Mouse films enter the public domain, it won't mean that just anyone can make Mickey Mouse films, people could just use those films. Still, trademark protection is trickier than copyright protection. Disney doesn't want to let the earliest MM films enter the public domain as it could weaken their trademark. For many years, Disney didn't produce new cartoons with Mickey, but in recent years they have, and that helps them protect their trademark.
Disney might have had to pay for movie rights to Zorro, but not for Cinderella, Snow White, Alice or Pinoccio. these were free for Disney to use as they saw fit.