700-year old Mickey Mouse
November 16, 2002 7:57 AM Subscribe
The ultimate example of prior art? A 700-year old Mickey Mouse was found by art historians. Years of lobbying and copyright extensions for this?
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Tell those art historians to keep looking. There has to be a duck nearby!
posted by jonmc at 8:02 AM on November 16, 2002
posted by jonmc at 8:02 AM on November 16, 2002
When Mickey's likeness finally lapses into the public domain, the Magic Kingdom will be well prepared.
As the fateful moment inches closer, the Magic Kingdom will trumpet out some newly created characters, with the old licenses "passing the torch" to the new lot. Then the newcomers will perform a series of "walk-ons" within scenes of older Disney releases (not unlike the Lilo & Stitch ads), and will no doubt be shown posing next to a likeness of Walt himself.
Disney, of course, will retain its catalog for "archival" purposes; as the world's largest retainer of high-quality images and sound samples from the "golden age", the studio can still earn revenue for the non-profit distribution of said materials, which would be increased in their transfer value due to special "commemorative" elements and exclusive promotional arrangements. (The original "nine old men" may have passed on, yet there are plenty of surviving executives, DisneyLand/World employees, and celebrity well-wishers who can be counted on for the "exclusive interviews".)
And amidst the turnaround, the Disney legal experts the non-profit status of the archive any way they can to help preserve vitality of the estate.
posted by Smart Dalek at 8:31 AM on November 16, 2002
As the fateful moment inches closer, the Magic Kingdom will trumpet out some newly created characters, with the old licenses "passing the torch" to the new lot. Then the newcomers will perform a series of "walk-ons" within scenes of older Disney releases (not unlike the Lilo & Stitch ads), and will no doubt be shown posing next to a likeness of Walt himself.
Disney, of course, will retain its catalog for "archival" purposes; as the world's largest retainer of high-quality images and sound samples from the "golden age", the studio can still earn revenue for the non-profit distribution of said materials, which would be increased in their transfer value due to special "commemorative" elements and exclusive promotional arrangements. (The original "nine old men" may have passed on, yet there are plenty of surviving executives, DisneyLand/World employees, and celebrity well-wishers who can be counted on for the "exclusive interviews".)
And amidst the turnaround, the Disney legal experts the non-profit status of the archive any way they can to help preserve vitality of the estate.
posted by Smart Dalek at 8:31 AM on November 16, 2002
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And isn't this kind of silly?
Still -- that's some delicious synchronicity there. And why, oh why, would medieval Austrians think that weasels gave birth through their ears? My chain-pulling sensor is going off right now.
posted by cortex at 7:59 AM on November 16, 2002