YouTube Demonetizes Steamboat Willie Adaptation Despite Cartoon Entering Public Domain
By Movieguide® Contributor
While the earliest form of Mickey Mouse – Steamboat Willie – entered the public domain at the start of the year, using the property without Disney’s consent is not yet smooth sailing.
Voice actor and YouTuber Brock Baker released a dub of the cartoon with his own voiceovers and sound effects after the turn of the year but was served a copyright violation shortly after its release.
The video was demonetized because of the alleged violation and was blocked from being viewed in some parts of the world as well. While Baker’s version of the cartoon could be argued as a fair use or parody of the cartoon, he shouldn’t even need to make a defense because the copyright has expired.
“Reproducing and adapting the footage in whatever way you like is legit,” Duke University law professor Jennifer Jenkins told Mashable.
Since Baker’s video was restricted immediately, it was likely flagged by YouTube’s Content ID feature that automatically identifies and demonetizes copyrighted content re-uploaded onto the site rather than restricted by a human.
“Videos uploaded to YouTube are scanned against a database of audio and visual content that’s been submitted to YouTube by copyright owners. When Content ID finds a match, it applies a Content ID claim to the matching video,” explains YouTube’s policy page.
Therefore, the Steamboat Willie cartoon is likely still uploaded to the Content ID’s library, though it should have been removed once the copyright expired.
Baker immediately disputed the copyright claim, given that Steamboat Willie is now in the public domain. He has yet to hear back from YouTube, and the video remains demonetized and restricted.
The dub by Baker is not the only project that Steamboat Willie has seen since the copyright expired. Director Steven LaMorte has announced his plans for a Steamboat Willie horror movie.
“Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror,” LaMorte said. “It’s a project I’ve been dreaming of, and I can’t wait to unleash this twisted take on this beloved character to the world.”
Mickey isn’t the only beloved character to enter the public domain this year. Peter Pan and Tigger also went public at the turn of the year.
Movieguide® previously reported:
The earliest forms of Mickey Mouse, such as Steamboat Willie, will hit the public domain at the start of 2024 as Disney’s copyright expires.
“This is it. This is Mickey Mouse,” said Jennifer Jenkins, a law professor and director of Duke’s Center for the Study of Public Domain. “This is exciting because it’s kind of symbolic. I kind of feel like the pipe on the steamboat, like expelling smoke. It’s so exciting.”
The iconic Disney character has long stood as a symbol for copyright law. The length of time copyright covers has been extended multiple times since he was created, partially due to Disney’s pressure on lawmakers.
“It’s sometimes derisively referred to as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act,” Jenkins explained. “That’s oversimplified because it wasn’t just Disney that was pushing for term extension. It was a whole group of copyright holders whose works were set to go into the public domain soon, who benefited greatly from the 20 years of extra protection.”
