Hi all,
as I was looking for copyright laws on the internet I came across the following piece of information that I considered interesting to share with you. Mickey Mouse character and design was created in 1928 and according to international copyright treaties signed by a vast majority of countries this copyright was going to expire in 2003. By using their influence, Disney lobby managed to change the law, at least in the USA: in 1998 president Clinton signed a law extending this period 20 years more. It sounds weird, but as I understand it, Mickey mouse is now copyrighted in the USA but NOT in the rest of countries, where the applicable law remains the old one. In particular, this means that producing and selling scroll saw patterns or projects based in Mickey mouse is legal outside the USA but not in the USA. A long debate followed after this law and apparently some people will try to prove it illegal in the Supreme court (of the USA).
More about this can be read here or making google searches:
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/comment..._sprigman.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_B..._Extension_Act
http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feat...ght/index.html
I would love to hear your comments.
Pedro.
as I was looking for copyright laws on the internet I came across the following piece of information that I considered interesting to share with you. Mickey Mouse character and design was created in 1928 and according to international copyright treaties signed by a vast majority of countries this copyright was going to expire in 2003. By using their influence, Disney lobby managed to change the law, at least in the USA: in 1998 president Clinton signed a law extending this period 20 years more. It sounds weird, but as I understand it, Mickey mouse is now copyrighted in the USA but NOT in the rest of countries, where the applicable law remains the old one. In particular, this means that producing and selling scroll saw patterns or projects based in Mickey mouse is legal outside the USA but not in the USA. A long debate followed after this law and apparently some people will try to prove it illegal in the Supreme court (of the USA).
More about this can be read here or making google searches:
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/comment..._sprigman.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_B..._Extension_Act
http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feat...ght/index.html
I would love to hear your comments.
Pedro.
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