Personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan has filed a lawsuit against Disney involving Mickey Mouse and the company’s efforts to control his earliest depiction. The case centers on questions of intellectual property, public domain use, and how far Disney can go in protecting imagery tied to its legacy brand.
Why Disney just got sued for Mickey Mouse rights
Morgan & Morgan sued Disney over the use of Mickey Mouse’s likeness from the 1928 short Steamboat Willie, which entered the public domain in 2024. The law firm argued that Disney’s legal team resisted a nationwide ad campaign featuring Mickey and Minnie in their original designs. Morgan & Morgan asked the court to confirm that its commercial does not violate Disney’s rights.
The 37-second ad depicts Mickey steering a boat that crashes into Minnie’s car, after which she calls the law firm. The ad opens and closes with a disclaimer stating that Disney did not approve it.
The lawsuit, filed in Florida federal court last week, cites Disney’s “history of aggressive enforcement of intellectual property rights” and its “refusal to disclaim an intent to engage in enforcement against” the firm (via The Hollywood Reporter).
In July, Disney sued jewelry company Satéur for using the Steamboat Willie design in products. Disney claimed customer complaints over poor quality could damage its reputation, writing, “As Disney has stated publicly, while copyright expired in the Steamboat Willie motion picture, Mickey Mouse will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for Disney.”
Disney continues to hold copyrights on later versions of Mickey Mouse and maintains trademarks that restrict competitors’ use. The company previously lobbied for copyright extensions in 1976 and 1998, delaying Steamboat Willie’s entry into the public domain until 2024. Disney also incorporated Steamboat Willie imagery into its logo, reinforcing its trademark claims.
Other groups have already used the character, including HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver mascot and the 2025 horror film Screamboat. The lawsuit could determine how courts balance public domain rights with existing trademark protections.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on ComingSoon.
