"…Legal scholars—acting on a discovery by a disgruntled ex-Disney archivist—are arguing that the copyright on the first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willie, might be null and void owing to sloppiness in that film’s title card." – New York Mag?
The TeleRead take: E-book angles here?
Related: L.A. Times. Lots of juicy details. Will Disney get its comeuppance, at least in the case of rights to the early MM?
There was also an interesting part about Mickey Mouse “originality” in Lawrence Lessig “Free Culture” book:
http://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Lessig/Free_Culture/Free%20Culture2.htm#p21
I wouldn’t expect much to come of this. It might look good in theory, but judges tend to be unimpressed by novel legal arguments that would upset the general order of things.
I wouldn’t expect much either. A good deal of the changes in current copyright law can be ascribed to DisneyCo efforts to insure Mickey and friends don’t become public domain. They have lots of lawyers and deep pockets, and will cheerfully bury anyone who tries to take advantage of this in litigation.
Sure, you might win in court if the claims referenced are valid, but who is willing to spend the time and money required to find out?
Come meet me in the public domain, you little law-warping rat. I want to pet you. Around your throat!