For the public domain, time stopped in 1998, when the Sonny Bono Copyright Act froze copyright expirations for 20 years. In 2019, time started again, with a massive crop of works from 1923 returning to the public domain, free for all to use and adapt:
No one is better at conveying the power of the public domain than Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle, who run the Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain. For years leading up to 2019, the pair published an annual roundup of what we would have gotten from the public domain in a universe where the 1998 Act never passed. Since 2019, they've switched to celebrating what we're actually getting each year. Last year's was a banger:
But while there's been moderate excitement at the publicdomainification of "Yes, We Have No Bananas," AA Milne's "Now We Are Six," and Sherlock Holmes, the main event that everyone's anticipated arrives on January 1, 2024, when Mickey Mouse enters the public domain.
The first appearance of Mickey Mouse was in 1928's Steamboat Willie. Disney was critical to the lobbying efforts that extended copyright in 1976 and again in 1998, so much so that the 1998 Act is sometimes called the Mickey Mouse Protection Act. Disney and its allies were so effective at securing these regulatory gifts that many people doubted that this day would ever come. Surely Disney would secure another retrospective copyright term extension before Jan 1, 2024. I had long arguments with comrades about this – people like Project Gutenberg founder Michael S Hart (RIP) were fatalistically certain the public domain would never come back.
But they were wrong. The public outrage over copyright term extensions came too late to stave off the slow-motion arson of the 1976 and 1998 Acts, but it was sufficient to keep a third extension away from the USA. Canada wasn't so lucky: Justin Trudeau let Trump bully him into taking 20 years' worth of works out of Canada's public domain in the revised NAFTA agreement, making swathes of works by living Canadian authors illegal at the stroke of a pen, in a gift to the distant descendants of long-dead foreign authors.
Now, with Mickey's liberation bare days away, there's a mounting sense of excitement and unease. Will Mickey actually be free? The answer is a resounding YES! (albeit with a few caveats). In a prelude to this year's public domain roundup, Jennifer Jenkins has published a full and delightful guide to The Mouse and IP from Jan 1 on:
https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/mickey/
Disney loves the public domain. Its best-loved works, from The Sorcerer's Apprentice to Sleeping Beauty, Pinnocchio to The Little Mermaid, are gorgeous, thoughtful, and lively reworkings of material from the public domain. Disney loves the public domain – we just wish it would share.
Disney loves copyright's other flexibilities, too, like fair use. Walt told the papers that he took his inspiration for Steamboat Willie from Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, making fair use of their performances to imbue Mickey with his mischief and derring do. Disney loves fair use – we just wish it would share.
Disney loves copyright's limitations. Steamboat Willie was inspired by Buster Keaton's silent film Steamboat Bill (titles aren't copyrightable). Disney loves copyright's limitations – we just wish it would share.
As Jenkins writes, Disney's relationship to copyright is wildly contradictory. It's the poster child for the public domain's power as a source of inspiration for worthy (and profitable) new works. It's also the chief villain in the impoverishment and near-extinction of the public domain. Truly, every pirate wants to be an admiral.
Disney's reliance on – and sabotage of – the public domain is ironic. Jenkins compares it to "an oil company relying on solar power to run its rigs." Come January 1, Disney will have to share.
Now, if you've heard anything about this, you've probably been told that Mickey isn't really entering the public domain. Between trademark claims and later copyrightable elements of Mickey's design, Mickey's status will be too complex to understand. That's totally wrong.
Jenkins illustrates the relationship between these three elements in (what else) a Mickey-shaped Venn diagram. Topline: you can use all the elements of Mickey that are present in Steamboat Willie, along with some elements that were added later, provided that you make it clear that your work isn't affiliated with Disney.
Let's unpack that. The copyrightable status of a character used to be vague and complex, but several high-profile cases have brought clarity to the question. The big one is Les Klinger's case against the Arthur Conan Doyle estate over Sherlock Holmes. That case established that when a character appears in both public domain and copyrighted works, the character is in the public domain, and you are "free to copy story elements from the public domain works":
This case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, who declined to hear it. It's settled law.
So, which parts of Mickey aren't going into the public domain? Elements that came later: white gloves, color. But that doesn't mean you can't add different gloves, or different colorways. The idea of a eyes with pupils is not copyrightable – only the specific eyes that Disney added.
Other later elements that don't qualify for copyright: a squeaky mouse voice, being adorable, doing jaunty dances, etc. These are all generic characteristics of cartoon mice, and they're free for you to use. Jenkins is more cautious on whether you can give your Mickey red shorts. She judges that "a single, bright, primary color for an article of clothing does not meet the copyrightability threshold" but without settled law, you might wanna change the colors.
But what about trademark? For years, Disney has included a clip from Steamboat Willie at the start of each of its films. Many observers characterized this as a bid to create a de facto perpetual copyright, by making Steamboat Willie inescapably associated with products from Disney, weaving an impassable web of trademark tripwires around it.
But trademark doesn't prevent you from using Steamboat Willie. It only prevents you from misleading consumers "into thinking your work is produced or sponsored by Disney." Trademarks don't expire so long as they're in use, but uses that don't create confusion are fair game under trademark.
Copyrights and trademarks can overlap. Mickey Mouse is a copyrighted character, but he's also an indicator that a product or service is associated with Disney. While Mickey's copyright expires in a couple weeks, his trademark doesn't. What happens to an out-of-copyright work that is still a trademark?
Luckily for us, this is also a thoroughly settled case. As in, this question was resolved in a unanimous 2000 Supreme Court ruling, Dastar v. Twentieth Century Fox. A live trademark does not extend an expired copyright. As the Supremes said:
[This would] create a species of mutant copyright law that limits the public’s federal right to copy and to use expired copyrights.
This elaborates on the Ninth Circuit's 1996 Maljack Prods v Goodtimes Home Video Corp:
[Trademark][ cannot be used to circumvent copyright law. If material covered by copyright law has passed into the public domain, it cannot then be protected by the Lanham Act without rendering the Copyright Act a nullity.
Despite what you might have heard, there is no ambiguity here. Copyrights can't be extended through trademark. Period. Unanimous Supreme Court Decision. Boom. End of story. Done.
But even so, there are trademark considerations in how you use Steamboat Willie after Jan 1, but these considerations are about protecting the public, not Disney shareholders. Your uses can't be misleading. People who buy or view your Steamboat Willie media or products have to be totally clear that your work comes from you, not Disney.
Avoiding confusion will be very hard for some uses, like plush toys, or short idents at the beginning of feature films. For most uses, though, a prominent disclaimer will suffice. The copyright page for my 2003 debut novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom contains this disclaimer:
This novel is a work of fiction, set in an imagined future. All the characters and events portrayed in this book, including the imagined future of the Magic Kingdom, are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. The Walt Disney Company has not authorized or endorsed this novel.
When a public domain work is copied, along with its title, there is little likelihood of confusion when even the most minimal steps are taken to distinguish the publisher of the original from that of the copy. The public is receiving just what it believes it is receiving—the work with which the title has become associated. The public is not only unharmed, it is unconfused.
Trademark has many exceptions. The First Amendment protects your right to use trademarks in expressive ways, for example, to recreate famous paintings with Barbie dolls:
And then there's "nominative use": it's not a trademark violation to use a trademark to accurately describe a trademarked thing. "We fix iPhones" is not a trademark violation. Neither is 'Works with HP printers.' This goes double for "expressive" uses of trademarks in new works of art:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_v._Grimaldi
What about "dilution"? Trademark protects a small number of superbrands from uses that "impair the distinctiveness or harm the reputation of the famous mark, even when there is no consumer confusion." Jenkins says that the Mickey silhouette and the current Mickey character designs might be entitled to protection from dilution, but Steamboat Willie doesn't make the cut.
Jenkins closes with a celebration of the public domain's ability to inspire new works, like Disney's Three Musketeers, Disney's Christmas Carol, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Disney's Around the World in 80 Days, Disney's Alice in Wonderland, Disney's Snow White, Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Disney's Cinderella, Disney's Little Mermaid, Disney's Pinocchio, Disney's Huck Finn, Disney's Robin Hood, and Disney's Aladdin. These are some of the best-loved films of the past century, and made Disney a leading example of what talented, creative people can do with the public domain.
As of January 1, Disney will start to be an example of what talented, creative people give back to the public domain, joining Dickens, Dumas, Carroll, Verne, de Villeneuve, the Brothers Grimm, Twain, Hugo, Perrault and Collodi.
Public domain day is 17 days away. Creators of all kinds: start your engines!
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
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Lassie, who became a high-priced star in the movie, Lassie Come Home, stamps an inky paw on a five-year contract with MGM, aided by Elizabeth Taylor, who made her film debut in the same picture. Hollywood, 1943.
Let’s hang the concept of severance packages on a classic good news, bad news framework!
The bad news? You’ve been laid off. Y’know, dismissed? Let go? Made redundant? Fired—out of a cannon, straight into the sun? No matter the euphemism, the result is the same. The kingdom has shut its gates to you, and your descendants will be cursed to toil in the wilderness, filling their bellies with dust.
The good news? You might have an extra paycheck or two coming your way.
Around 25% of employers offer severance pay, making it neither common nor uncommon. It’s a benefit that’s typically reserved for white collar employees, or those who work specifically on the corporate side of major retailers and service providers. And if you think that sounds classist—good! It is! You’ve been paying attention!
If you already know your industry/field/role doesn’t offer this perk, or if you’re not employed right now, you may take this period as an open study hall.
What’s a Severance Package? And Should I Always Accept It?
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"how do i contract?? what the hell IS a contract??? how do i go about it????" ever found yourself asking these? you've found the right tumblr post! in this post, i'll be explaining what a contract is, how to sign a contract, what to know beforehand, etc! now, lets get into it!
DISCLAIMER! this is not a form of roleplay, delusion or psychosis. this is a belief under the branch of pop culture witchcraft. anyone who is rude or disregards beliefs in the comments WILL be blocked.
#01: WHAT IS A CONTRACT?
in short, a contract is a formal agreement between 2 conscious entities with terms and conditions! you know how when you download a new app and a page pops up like "hey! agree to our terms and conditions to use our app!"? its a bit like that! puella magi's commonly contract with kyubey, in exchange for basically selling our soul and changing our destiny to fight witches, we get a wish! its pretty much the same to how it is in the anime.
puella magis usually contract with either kyubey or madokami. when contracted with kyubey, its just the same as in the anime. when you contract under madokami, you are immune to witching out and instead of a soul gem, you get a wish gem! while you can't witch out when contracted under madokami, you can still have your soul gem darken which isn't fun at all, so be sure to cleanse it!
#02: WHAT SHOULD I KNOW BEFORE CONTRACTING?
first off, learn about normal witchcraft! while being a magical girl is a belief under pop culture witchcraft, pop culture witchcraft is STILL witchcraft! pop culture witchcraft is just as, if not even more dangerous than regular witchcraft, as you are contacting entities that could trick you into selling your soul to them! learn about the basics of witchcraft at the least, along with research on astral projection
next, i'd suggest you learn about communication with astral entities! learn about how to vet an entity to make sure you're actually speaking to the entity you think you are, learn different communication methods, etc!
disclaimer 2! PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT DO YOUR RESEARCH ON TIKTOK. if you want actually good online sources for magi stuff or witchcraft in general, check tumblr! theres so much information on tiktok. if you don't want to do online research, read books about it!
#03: WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE CONTRACTING?
wait a MINIMUM of a month before deciding you want to contract. most contractors do not allow you to take your contract back, which will leave you stuck with a descision you regret! understand the risks of contracting too! this is usually a permenant lifelong descision where you are selling your soul and leading you to a destiny of fighting witches and eventually witching out (if you are contracted under kyubey). witching out is inevitable for all puella magis contracted under kyubey! just like how every animal will all die at the end of their life, puella magis contracted under kyubey will eventully witch out. decide if this path is really for you or not
decide who you want to contract under! make sure to also learn your potential and if you have enough potential for your wish! this can be done by communicating to kyubey yourself, or asking someone in communication with him to ask him your potential. most people have a physical vessel for their soul gem, so i reccomend picking a physical vessel you'll use for your soul gem. mine is a hairclip, but it can be anything like necklaces, rings, etc. then, you can decide the fun parts! you can script what your outfit will look like, what you'll fight with, any abilities, etc! scripting isn't NECCESARY, but alot of people have fun doing it!
#04: HOW DO I CONTRACT?
this part is pretty easy! you either contract by astral projecting, lucid dreaming or by doing a physical ritual! first off, verify the entity youre talking to is who you think it is! after doing that, state your wish and BAM! you're a puella magi now!
#00: EXTRA
psssst.. wanna join a server for puella magis? join madokas tea party... we have alot of information and are beginner friendly..... wdym this is a shameless plug no its not........
Check out the ೀ MADOKA'S TEA PARTY 🎀 ⊹˚. ♡ community on Discord – hang out with 188 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.
thats all! i can clarify more questions you may have in the comments or in our discord server. good luck!
HHS has notified Moderna that it is canceling a nearly $600 million contract for vaccines for flu strains that could trigger future pandemic
HHS cancels nearly $600 million Moderna contract on vaccines for flu pandemics
The decision will be seen as a significant blow to pandemic preparedness
By Helen Branswell and Matthew HerperMay 28, 2025
The Department of Health and Human Services has notified Moderna that it is canceling a nearly $600 million contract with the company to develop, test, and license vaccines for flu subtypes that could trigger future pandemics, including the dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus.
Though the possibility of the cancellation had been anticipated — the new leadership at HHS told the company in February that it was reviewing the contract, signed with the Biden administration — the move is being seen as a significant blow to the country’s capacity to respond to pandemic influenza.
