D&D 5E Steamboat Willie Available on DMs Guild!

Dragonhelm

Knight of Solamnia
Now that Steamboat Willie is available in the public domain, it was only a matter of time before people started using it. Imagine my surprise when I saw it on DMs Guild!

What do you all think about the author's take on this classic cartoon?

Link: Steamboat Willie


mickey.png
 
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overgeeked

B/X Known World
Now that Steamboat Willie is available in the public domain, it was only a matter of time before people started using it. Imagine my surprise when I saw it on DMs Guild!

What do you all think about the author's take on this classic cartoon?

Link: Steamboat Willie


View attachment 345287
That's cool. But Disney still holds the trademark to the name "Mickey Mouse." This will get pulled down if Disney's lawyers catch wind of it.
 


And a PC specie:


Copyright protects every creative work, whether it’s a written, visual, or audio medium. This allows artists, writers, and studios to be sure that they can control and benefit from their own creations and pass on a legacy to their heirs. But copyright doesn’t last forever. When copyrights expire, as determined by relevant laws, works pass into a status called public domain.

Public domain is one of the most important elements of the copyright system. It allows future generations of creators to remix and draw inspiration directly from classic materials. Treasure Island, A Christmas Carol, Sherlock Holmes, House at Pooh Corner, and The Great Gatsby all now exist in the public domain (in the U.S.), free for anyone to adapt into new creative works.

Beginning January 1, 2024, the animated short Steamboat Willie joins that list of public domain classics. While the characters depicted therein remain trademarks of their company and more recent versions of the characters remain under copyright, the specific depictions from this historic 1928 film can be used, so long as no endorsement by the Walt Disney Company is implied.

WHAT'S IN THIS PRODUCT?

  • A playable anthropomorphic mouse species, similar to other anthro species found in D&D, like kenku, harengon, owlin, and tabaxi.
  • The optional Cartoon background, to give your PCs a vibe of silly fun!
This work is a PARODY of the public domain animated film Steamboat Willie. The main character is a trademark of the Walt Disney Company which has not produced, endorsed, or reviewed this product. Product contains 1 page of game content; front and back matter make total document length 5 pages.
 


Yup. I just came here to post this. "Mickey Mouse" is not in the public domain.
But the character Mickey Mouse is in the public domain, at least the earliest versions of him. The US patent office has ruled that you are permitted to use a trademarked name to refer to a public domain character in your product, as long as the use is descriptive and doesn't give any false impression about the origin of the product. This particular is clearly labelled "not affiliated with Disney", so it should be clear.

Trademarks are far more limited in what uses they protect that copyright is. Of course that's unlikely to help you if Disney sends a takedown request to DMs Guild. The golden rule is that he who has the gold makes the rules.
 

Dausuul

Legend
That's cool. But Disney still holds the trademark to the name "Mickey Mouse." This will get pulled down if Disney's lawyers catch wind of it.
Not... necessarily.

Trademark doesn't work the same as copyright. At least in principle, the idea of trademark law is that it's a way for a company to identify itself in the marketplace. To infringe on a trademark, you have to create confusion between your product and that of the trademark owner.

Not being a lawyer myself, I won't speculate on whether this product meets that description in a legal sense. But you'll note the "Not Affiliated With Disney" down at the bottom of the cover; they are at least trying to cover themselves in that respect.
 

Steampunkette

Rules Tinkerer and Freelance Writer
Supporter
Mickey Mouse is in the Public Domain.

Even in the Red Pants.

The conceit of every Mickey Mouse cartoon was that Mickey was an actor in a movie. It's "Mickey Mouse in" then the title.

As far as the red pants, the cartoons were advertised with full color posters. Here's one from 1929.

 



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