Richard Gottlieb is the CEO of Global Toy Group, founder of Global Toy Experts and publisher of Global Toy News, making him an authority and go-to source in the collecting community. Lest we forget his impressive collection of rare “Wizard of Oz” books. Richard and Global Toy News have agreed to share some articles highlighting industry news, fun stuff and more. Read more from Global Toy News on hobbyDB here!
After decades of protection, several notable properties will enter the public domain in 2024 and beyond. That means you can use them without having to pay a licensing fee.
Most notably for the toy industry, these public domain characters include Mickey Mouse, Superman, Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, Batman, and Bugs Bunny.
Before you begin placing Batman logos on your toys, however, be mindful that the freedom to use these characters is limited to how they looked when they first appeared. You can, as an example, use Winnie the Pooh as he appeared in the original books but not how he looks in a Disney cartoon. You may notice that the original Mickey Mouse did not wear white gloves. That means that you cannot use white gloves on your Mickey Mouse.
You can use this image:
But not this one:
You can use this Mickey Mouse:
In addition, you cannot use any characters that the original artist or author did not create. So, you can’t use Winnie The Pooh’s friend Gopher because Disney, not Milne, was the creator.
In case you are interested in Superman, realize you can use the original inelegant “S,” but you don’t get to use the logo to which we have all become accustomed. And forget about Lex Luthor, at least for now. He will not be available until 2030.
Batman’s image has also changed since its inception. He didn’t have those cool gloves and appeared to be wearing wings rather than a cape. And if you look closely, you can see he is wearing a gun.
You will have to wait a few years, but the Looney Tunes characters will become available in the 2030s. Daffy Duck in 2033, and Bugs Bunny in 2035. Elmer had a red nose, and Bugs had a more elongated face than he does today.
It’s the beginning of a new era. Use these characters but double-check with your attorney before doing so. The major studios will be watching very carefully.
Enter your email address if you like to receive notifications of new posts by email.
Email Address
Subscribe
hobbyDB is a participant in Amazon, eBay, Entertainment Earth, LEGO, and other affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to other websites.
We also occasionally accept consideration from Brands, Service Providers, or Retailers (which is then clearly marked as Sponsored Content) all editorial opinions are our own.