It’s been an interesting battle between Morgan & Morgan Law Firm and Disney while they’ve had a lawsuit going on regarding Disney’s iconic Steamboat Willie character.
Disney’s U.S. copyright expired last year (2024) for Steamboat Willie, and back in September, the law firm, Morgan & Morgan, sued Disney to get a ruling that would allow Steamboat Willie to be used in advertisements. Now, in November, we have an update — that lawsuit has been DROPPED.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Morgan & Morgan dropped the lawsuit on Wednesday of this past week. The lawsuit asked a judge to rule that the law firm could use an adaptation of the “Steamboat Willie” cartoon in one of its ads. Specifically, the law firm asked a judge to declare that their proposed commercial does not infringe on any of Disney’s intellectual property rights, and would therefore stop Disney from suing Morgan & Morgan in any regard. However, before a ruling could be made, the company asked a federal court to dismiss the suit without prejudice, which means that they could file another legal action in the future.
While the original copyright expired for the character, it’s not as easy as that, meaning other people cannot just use it, because Disney still has trademark rights and copyright protections for later, more modern versions of the characters. The most interesting thing, though, is that Morgan & Morgan already MADE the ad that could cause issues— it’s a 37-second-long black and white ad that shows a Minnie Mouse-looking character calling the law firm after Mickey crashes a boat into her car. It also included a disclaimer that the ad was not approved, authorized, or endorsed by Disney.
On the same day Morgan & Morgan dropped the lawsuit, Katie Rosborough, a Disney spokesperson, said, “Disney remains committed to guarding against unlawful copyright and trademark infringement to avoid consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey Mouse and our other iconic characters.” Unlike copyright, which provides legal protection for original creative works and expires 70 years after the author’s death or 95 years after first publication, trademarks don’t ever expire and protect a brand’s distinguishing logos, words, or designs.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated on this case, as it is possible that Disney could come back with a lawsuit against Morgan & Morgan, or Morgan & Morgan could file another legal motion against Disney in the future. Stay tuned to AllEars.
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What do you think about this situation? Tell us in the comments!
PLEASE sue Morgan & Morgan! These people are a nightmare! Never use them either!
No reason for Morgan and Morgan to go there. It really cheapens their character and professionalism.