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Mickey Mouse Already in the Public Domain?
Posted by James Grimmelmann on Friday, November 15 @ 14:45:24 EST Oddities
Anavanova is running a story that Mickey Mouse may be 700 years old. According to the story, an Austrian art historian has discovered an image that looks suspciously like the Mouse on a 14th-century fresco. As a local official stated, "Our Mickey Mouse is 700 years older than Disney's and we will get it legally examined."
 
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Re: Mickey Mouse Already in the Public Domain? (Score: 1)
by MurphysLaw on Monday, November 18 @ 13:12:47 EST
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Even finding a case of "prior art" (yuk, yuk, yuk!) does not put either Steamboat Willie or Mickey Mouse in the public domain. It appears from the article that we have the opinion of art historians, not IP lawyers.


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