If you’re the creative type and you’re struggling to come up with your next idea, do not fear: some big works, including the original version of Mickey Mouse, are entering the public domain on Jan. 1 in the United States.
And if, on the other hand, you prefer your Disney characters to be cute, cuddly and never-changing, well … you might want to stop reading.
In 2024, thousands of copyrighted works published in 1928 are entering the public domain, after their 95-year term expires.
. . .
The New York Times reached out to some writers, producers and directors to give you a taste of what might be unleashed in this strange new world.
This is such a shitty take.
The quote near the beginning of the article is the correct point of view:
Creative works entering the public domain is the norm. The past decades of Disney paying to get copywrite time extended are abnormal.
The author is using nostalgia and some cherry-picked examples to fear-monger in favor of corporate control over creative works. He might as well be kissing the mouse’s boots.
Peter Pan is the only example I can think of as a valid use for these ridiculous copyright lengths.
Don’t disagree with you on copyright at all. I think you might be misreading the tone of this article though. It seems a lot lighter to me. At least, quoting a bunch of comedians joking around about possible uses of public domain characters would be a weird choice for a scare piece. The author has another recent article with a jokey tone too.