These classic characters are losing copyright protection. They may never be the same

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, entered the public domain Monday 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 entered the public domain, after their 95-year term expired.

This means that those characters and stories can be remade - on the page, stage or screen - without permission. (Finally, I can make that Peter Pan musical where a middle-aged Peter laments unexplained back pains at the end of Act I.)

"It's important for the preservation of our cultural record, for meaningful access to older works for inspiring future creativity," said Jennifer Jenkins,...