https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-copyrights-targeted-in-bill-proposed-by-sen-josh-hawley-1235144054/ * [p] Skip to main content Plus Icon Click to expand the Mega Menu Menu Click to expand search form Search for: [ ] [Search] The Hollywood Reporter homepage site categories * News * Film * TV * Awards * Lifestyle * Business * International * Video * Podcasts Subscribe [] The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter See My Options Sign Up --------------------------------------------------------------------- THR, Esq --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Home * Business * Business News Disney Copyrights Targeted in Bill Proposed by Sen. Josh Hawley The company would lose its copyright to the original design of Mickey Mouse if the law is passed. By Winston Cho Plus Icon Winston Cho More Stories by Winston * Disney Copyrights Targeted in Bill Proposed by Sen. Josh Hawley * 'Rust' Producers Appeal New Mexico Safety Agency's Penalty * CBS Settles 'MacGyver' Spinoff Profits Battle View All May 10, 2022 12:52pm * Share this article on Facebook * Share this article on Twitter * Share this article on Email * Show additional share options * Share this article on Print * Share this article on Comment * Share this article on Whatsapp * Share this article on Linkedin * Share this article on Reddit * Share this article on Pinit * Share this article on Tumblr Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse in the 1928 Disney short 'Steamboat Willie.' Courtesy of Photofest * Share this article on Facebook * Share this article on Twitter * Share this article on Email * Show additional share options * Share this article on Print * Share this article on Comment * Share this article on Whatsapp * Share this article on Linkedin * Share this article on Reddit * Share this article on Pinit * Share this article on Tumblr Logo text Disney, under siege by Republican lawmakers, may immediately lose its copyright for Mickey Mouse if a law slashing the duration of ownership is passed. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Tuesday proposed legislation that limits copyright protection to 56 years. According to the Copyright Clause Restoration Act of 2022, the law would retroactively apply to existing copyrights. The move follows Florida lawmakers last month stripping Disney of special privileges of self-government that allowed it to independently oversee its sprawling theme park area. The feud started when the company vowed to push for repeal of the Parental Rights in Education Law, which bars discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation in grades K-3 and allows parents to sue school districts if they think there's been a violation. Related Stories Hilary Duff attends the "How I Met Your Father" fan experience in Los Angeles celebrating the show's first season finale with cast on March 10, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. TV Hilary Duff on Why Disney+'s 'Lizzie McGuire' Reboot Was Scrapped: "They Got Spooked" Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV 'Percy Jackson' Author Condemns Racist Attacks on Leah Sava Jeffries Casting Disney has suspended political donations in Florida. After an about-face that saw the company publicly oppose the legislation under pressure from employees after initially staying silent, Gov. Ron DeSantis placed Disney front and center in a culture war against what he called "woke corporations." Hawley, employing DeSantis' playbook, said in a statement, "Thanks to special copyright protections from Congress, woke corporations like Disney have earned billions while increasingly pandering to woke activists." Hawley's mention of "special copyright protections" refers to Disney's major role influencing the evolution of copyright law. Mickey Mouse was first introduced with the 1928 release of Steamboat Willie. At the time, Disney was afforded 56 years of protection for the character. But with the copyright set to expire in 1984, Disney lobbied for reform and secured the passage of the Copyright Act of 1976. This allowed ownership of works by corporations for 75 years. In 1998, Disney was again able to delay the entry of Mickey Mouse into the public domain with the adoption of the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998. The law extended protection of copyrights by corporations for 95 years from their original publication, pushing the expiration of Disney's copyright for Steamboat Willie to 2024. Several Republican lawmakers have said that they won't support an extension of copyright protections for Disney if a bill is introduced. In a letter to chief executive Bob Chapek, Jim Banks (R-In.) denounced the company for capitulating "to far-left activists through hypocritical, woke corporate actions" with its opposition to the Parental Rights in Education Act. "Given Disney's continued work with a Communist Chinese regime that does not respect human rights or U.S. intellectual property and given your desire to influence young children with sexual material inappropriate for their age, I will not support further extensions applicable to your copyrights, which should become public domain," reads the letter. But even if Disney's copyright for Steamboat Willie expires, only the original design of Mickey Mouse will hit the public domain. There have been several iterations of the character over the past century. The copyright for sorcerer Mickey, for example, which appeared in the 1940 movie Fantasia, expires in 2036. Trademarks, which cover words and symbols used to identify products, may also serve to protect Disney's business interests in controlling the commercial use of its characters. The proposal brought by Hawley is unlikely to pass given the Democratic majority in the Senate. Even so, Republican lawmakers' appetite to attack Disney to attract conservative voters places the company in the increasingly untenable position of trying to play both sides of the aisle. So far, Disney has stayed silent on the dissolution of its Reedy Creek Improvement District in Florida. It didn't respond to a request for comment for this story. Read More About: * disney+ * Ron DeSantis THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up More from The Hollywood Reporter * Video Games Electronic Arts Spins Loss of FIFA Rights, Plans Soccer Gaming Future [] * THR, Esq 'Rust' Producers Appeal New Mexico Safety Agency's Penalty [] * twitter Elon Musk Says He'd Allow Trump Back On Twitter, Get Rid of Permanent Bans [] * Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery's Return-to-Office Plan Has Some Staffers Stressed [] * VidCon Paramount Promotes Two Execs to Oversee VidCon Amid Leadership Shake-Up [] * Instagram 'Hot Ones' Spinoff Show Heads to Instagram [] Logo text WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Unique expertise on how the law impacts Hollywood pros, projects and processes Email Address [ ] Subscribe Today Sign Up By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Essential Reads Steamboat Willie Disney Copyrights Targeted in Bill Proposed by Sen. Josh Hawley By Winston Cho Bonanza Creek Ranch 'Rust' Producers Appeal New Mexico Safety Agency's Penalty By Winston Cho MacGyver reboot CBS Settles 'MacGyver' Spinoff Profits Battle By Winston Cho COVID-19 Claims: Who Pays Up? Hollywood's COVID-19 Claims: So Far, Insurers Have the Upper Hand in Court By Winston Cho THR cover 14 low res The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter SEE MY OPTIONS Sign Up PMC Logo Most Popular Property Brother Drew Scott & Wife Linda's Maternity Shoot Shares a More Intimate Look Into Their Low-Key Relationship New Book Reveals Diddy's Role In Dr. Dre Losing $200 Million In Apple-Beats By Dre Deal 27-Year-Old Painter Anna Weyant Becomes Youngest Artist to Join Gagosian Amid Rumors of Romantic Relationship Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi Sell Beverly Hills Midcentury to Their Next-Door Neighbor You may also like [lazyload-f] The Best Fine-Tooth Combs for Precise Styling in 2022 6 hours ago [lazyload-f] Shelter Island Farm: Bucolic Heaven in the Hamptons, at a Price 4 hours ago [lazyload-f] Diddy Launches New R&B Label, Love Records, New Album Coming Out On Motown 5 hours ago [lazyload-f] Karol G Replaces Herself at No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs Chart With 'Provenza' 7 hours ago THR cover 14 low res Subscriber Support * Get the Magazine * Customer Service * Back Issues * E-edition Access The Hollywood Reporter * About Us * Advertise * Careers * Contact Us * Accessibility Legal * Terms of Use * Privacy Policy * California Privacy Rights * Privacy Preferences * AdChoices * Do Not Sell My Personal Information Follow Us * Icon Link Plus Icon facebook * Icon Link Plus Icon twitter * Icon Link Plus Icon instagram * Icon Link Plus Icon youtube Newsletter Sign Up Sign Up [ ] Subscribe Sign Up Have a Tip? Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Send Us a Tip Sign Up Icon Link Plus Icon The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. (c) 2022 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. All Rights Reserved. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is a registered trademark of The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Powered by WordPress.com VIP Our Sites * Artnews * BGR * Billboard * Deadline * Fairchild Media * Footwear News * Gold Derby * IndieWire * Robb Report * Rolling Stone * SheKnows * She Media * Soaps * Sourcing Journal * Sportico * Spy * StyleCaster * The Hollywood Reporter * TVLine * Variety * Vibe * WWD Close the menu The Hollywood Reporter homepage * News Expand news menu + Latest News + Culture & Politics + Tech & Digital + Music + LA/Local + THR Investigates + Obituaries * Film Expand film menu + News + Features + Reviews + Box Office + Heat Vision * TV Expand tv menu + News + Features + Reviews + Ratings + Live Feed + Heat Vision + The Fien Print + TV's Top 5 Podcast * Awards Expand awards menu + News + Awards Chatter Podcast + Feinberg Forecast + Behind The Screen + The Race + THR Presents * Lifestyle Expand lifestyle menu + News + Style + Shopping + Arts + Real Estate + Rambling Reporter * Business Expand business menu + News + Features & Columns + Representation + THR, Esq * More Essentials Expand more-essentials menu + International News + Video + Podcasts + Featured Voices Follow Us * Follow thr on facebook * Follow thr on twitter * Follow thr on instagram * Follow thr on youtube Alerts & Newsletters Your Email [ ] Subscribe Sign Up optional screen reader * About Us * Advertise * Careers * Contact Us Icon Link Plus Icon The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. (c) 2022 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. All Rights Reserved. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is a registered trademark of The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. ad Quantcast