People are fond of quoting Walt Disney’s “it all started with a mouse” line. But do they understand what it was that started?
Today, Mickey Mouse turns 75. He’s not a real mouse, he’s a cartoon character. And as such, he should today be in the public domain. But no — thanks to the spreading around of plenty of those Disney Dollars, the design of the mouse is still firmly in the hands of the huge Disney conglomerate.
Now, this is irksome for all those reasons of intellectual freedom and fair use and whatnot, but what I find even more annoying is this:
To help commemorate the anniversary, the U.S. Postal Service will start a stamp program next year featuring Disney characters, premiering with Mickey.
Now, wait just a moment: Mickey is not being released into the public domain, and yet we’ll have stamps with him and his other character pals? Not only did Disney get to avoid copyright laws, but they also get free advertising from the government?
When will we see the Ford logo on a stamp, or the Golden Arches™?
I think Disney has gotten enough from the government. I think it’s time to send a first class letter to the USPS and tell them no copyrighted images on stamps, please. We can’t afford the lawsuit.
