For nearly a century, one cartoon character has stood at the heart of a global empire — smiling, waving, and quietly driving billions in revenue.
When the copyright for Steamboat Willie — the 1928 short film that first introduced the world to Mickey Mouse — expired in early 2024, some speculated the character would finally be free from Disney’s grip. Memes, knockoffs, and announcements for indie horror films featuring Mickey’s earliest form soon flooded the internet.
But copyright expiration doesn’t mean open season. Disney still holds full trademark rights to Mickey Mouse and remains highly protective of the character’s modern appearance – especially when it shows up somewhere it shouldn’t.
Disney Demands Action Over Mickey Mouse
The company’s latest legal battle centers on a Hong Kong jeweler accused of selling unlicensed Mickey Mouse products.
According to court documents filed earlier this week, Disney claims that the Red Earth Group – which sells jewelry online under the name Satéur – has violated its trademark rights by selling jewelry featuring Mickey’s likeness at locations across Hong Kong and mainland China.
It alleges that Satéur “intends to present Mickey Mouse as its own brand identifier for its jewelry merchandise and “seeks to trade on the recognizability of the Mickey Mouse trademarks and consumers’ affinity for Disney and its iconic ambassador Mickey Mouse.”
Disney claims that its online marketing efforts “extensively trade on the Mickey Mouse trademarks and the Disney brand” by describing the jewelry as great for “Disney enthusiasts.”
This, it alleges, is an attempt to “confuse consumers” that “suggests, at a minimum, a partnership or collaboration with Disney.”
A Long History of Protecting Mickey
This isn’t the first time Disney has gone to court over Mickey Mouse.
Earlier this summer, Disney and Universal jointly sued the AI company Midjourney for enabling users to generate unauthorized images of beloved characters like Elsa, Buzz Lightyear, and Darth Vader. The companies argued the tool was essentially a “piracy machine.”
Over the years, Disney has pursued numerous similar cases, from a 2013 lawsuit against Frozen Land distributor Phase 4 Films to a years-long legal battle with the underground comic group Air Pirates, who parodied Mickey in explicit adult comics.
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