NFT Classical Character Mickey Mouse Trending On OpenSea After Copyright Ends

"Steamboat Willie," became the most popular nonfungible token (NFT) on the OpenSea market (photo: dock. opensea)

JAKARTA - On January 1, the initial version of the character Mickey Mouse of Walt Disney Company, which appeared in a short 1928 film entitled "Steamboat Willie," became the most popular nonfungible token (NFT) on the OpenSea market after entering the public domain for the first time.

Willie's "Steamboat" was Mickey Mouse's first publicly distributed appearance. After nearly a century, Disney's copyright claim to this version of the characters ended as US law only allowed copyright to be held for 95 years.

After the expiration copyright, these three old figures' collections of NFTs occupy the top three positions in OpenSea's 24-hour trending list. The NFT collection entitled "Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024" managed to reach first place after recording a trading volume of around US$1.2 million (Rp18.5 billion). Another collection called "Steamboat Willie" is in second place, while the "Steamboat Willie's Riverboat" ranks third.

Apart from appearing on the trending list, the "Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024" collection also ranks sixth on OpenSea's 24-hour top list, competing with popular collections such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and the Pudgydias. The "Steamboat Willie" collection also ranks eighth on the same list.

Although copyright expires for this classic version of character, Disney reminds the public that Mickey's modern version will not be affected by the expiration of "Steamboat Willie."

In a statement to CNN, a Disney spokesperson stated that the company will continue to "protect" their rights in the modern version of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright. They will work to prevent consumer confusion caused by the illegal use of Mickey and other iconic characters.