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The pessimistic answer would be that Disney would lobby for additional extension on copyright term.

However, copyrights held by Disney will not expire all at once; when "Steamboat Willie" passes into the public domain in 2023, that will have no effect at all on thousands of other properties.

Another important idea is that many of Disney's iconic images have been registered as trademarks as well, for which protection can be renewed in perpetuity as long as the mark is in use. That is to say, expiration of copyright protection on "Steamboat Willie" does not mean Disney no longer controls use of Mickey Mouse.

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14y ago

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