Disney has already technically "lost" the exclusive copyright to the earliest version of Mickey Mouse, specifically the character as he appeared in the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie. Under U.S. copyright law, creative works are protected for a limited time—currently 95 years for corporate "works made for hire." On January 1, 2024, this original iteration entered the public domain. This means that while anyone can now use the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey in their own creative projects, Disney still holds a powerful arsenal of protections. They retain the copyright for all subsequent, more modern versions of Mickey (such as the one with white gloves and red shorts) until those respective works expire. Crucially, Disney also holds numerous trademarks on Mickey Mouse as a brand identifier. Unlike copyrights, trademarks can be renewed indefinitely as long as the company continues to use the character to identify its goods and services. Therefore, while you can technically make a horror movie featuring the 1928 "Steamboat" mouse, you cannot use him in a way that tricks consumers into thinking your product is an official Disney production or use the "Mickey Mouse" name as a brand for a theme park or toy line.