Disney is about to lose its decades-long battle to keep Mickey Mouse out of the public domain

• The original Mickey Mouse is set to enter the public domain nearly a hundred years after it premiered. 
• The 95-year copyright lifespan of "Steamboat Willie" Mickey expires in 2024.
• Disney has spent decades lobbying to extend the length of the copyright.

Disney has successfully fought for decades to keep its most famous ambassador locked up tight under copyright protection.

But next year, that's set to change.

Mickey Mouse (at least the first iteration of the iconic mascot) is set to set to enter the public domain at the beginning of 2024, nearly a hundred years after his premiere in the 1928 animated short "Steamboat Willie."