Mickey Mouse has plunged into the public domain, available for use by anyone with an imagination and a script, and who’s next? Sparty? Captain Bob-Lo? The Vernors gnome? No. Yes, theoretically. And, ...

The copyright on Mickey Mouse expires today, meaning The Walt Disney Company no longer has the exclusive rights to the character. Does this mean you can put Mickey in your own cartoon? Not exactly.

In just a few short days, an early version of Disney’s most iconic character will join the public domain for the first time. For nearly a century, the image of Mickey Mouse has been married to the ...