by Jennifer Jenkins, Director, Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain CC BY 4.0 On January 1, 2024, after almost a century of copyright protection, Mickey Mouse, or at least a version of Mickey Mouse, will enter the public domain. The first movies in which the iconic mouse appeared – most famously, Steamboat Willie­[1] – were made in 1928 and works from that year go into the public domain in the United States on New Year’s Day 2024.[2] The public domain has had some famous recent arrivals, but this is the most anticipated entry yet. Why?