Disney Lets Go of Pluto, Mickey Mouse Says Goodbye to His Best Friend
The Walt Disney Company no longer holds exclusive copyright over the earliest depictions of Mickey Mouse’s loyal canine companion. Effective January 1, 2026, two animated shorts featuring Pluto’s initial film appearances have entered the public domain.
Disney Loses Early Versions of Pluto
Most Walt Disney Animation Studios’ properties from 1930 officially became public domain on January 1, 2026, including two shorts that featured the first versions of Pluto. The Chain Gang and The Picnic, both released in 1930, introduced audiences to the dog who would eventually become Mickey Mouse’s best friend.
However, creators face limitations using these early versions. The Chain Gang (1930) features the character as an unnamed black-and-white bloodhound pursuing Mickey Mouse. Meanwhile, The Picnic (1930) depicts him as Minnie Mouse’s dog named “Rover.” Creatives utilizing these 1930 versions cannot refer to the character Pluto—at least not in 2026.
The dog received his famous name and status as Mickey’s companion in The Moose Hunt (1931). That short enters the public domain in January 2027.
Third Consecutive Year of Copyright Losses
New Year’s Day 2026 marks three consecutive Januarys in which The Walt Disney Company has relinquished copyright protections for its iconic characters. The pattern began in 2024, when the black-and-white sailor Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie (1928) entered the public domain.
The Walt Disney Company historically championed stringent copyright legislation, lobbying U.S. politicians to prevent character transitions into the public domain. In 1998, Disney successfully persuaded lawmakers to extend the 1976 Copyright Act’s protections by 20 years, increasing copyright terms to 95 years in most cases. Some sarcastically labeled the 1998 legislation the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act.”
Critics ultimately prevailed. Disney couldn’t convince Congress to extend copyright durations further, and early characters began entering the public domain in 2024. Alongside the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse, Disney lost copyright to early iterations of Goofy, Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and other animated characters.
The public quickly exploited newly available content, creating X-rated and disturbing versions of the black-and-white sailor Mickey Mouse. The Walt Disney Company pledged to defend still-protected, more modern versions of its characters:
“More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright, and Mickey will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company in our storytelling, theme park attractions, and merchandise. We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright, and we will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters.”
Disney hasn’t issued a similar statement about the characters that entered the public domain on January 1, 2025, and 2026.
Which of Pluto’s many animated appearances is your favorite? Let Disney Dining know in the comments!
