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Chibson celebrates Mickey Mouse’s expired copyright with this ‘Cease And Desist’ Mouse Pedal
After nearly a century, Walt Disney’s rodent star has entered the public domain.
Image: Chibson USA
It’s hard to imagine one of Disney’s most iconic characters roaming free in the United States public domain one day, but such is the fate of Mickey Mouse — or at least the version of the character from the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie — as of 1 January 2024.
Like the rest of the world, esteemed maker of all things guitar, Chibson, is celebrating the momentous occasion with the unveiling of a new Rat—sorry, Mouse Pedal featuring the character.
Those aware of Disney’s dedication to safeguarding Intellectual Property laws should note that the Mouse Pedal is, in Chibson’s words, “one hundred percent unlicensed”, featuring three knobs lovingly named Cease, And, Desist.
Aside from the Mouse Pedal, Chibson has also released a short documentary on their YouTube channel which tells the story of how cartoonist Dan O’Neill and his team of underground artists “The Air Pirates” took on the brass at Disney in a notorious decade-long legal battle over copyright infringement and freedom of speech.
Check out the 18-minute film Dan O’Neill and the Air Pirates below.