Mickey Mouse has always been promoted as a character for everyone.
Today it is more true than ever before, as the earliest iteration of the Walt Disney Company mascot entered the public domain in the US, meaning the character could be used in films, video games and other media without permission from its previous copyright holder.
The version in question comes from the 1928 short black and white film Steamboat Willie.
Public domain is a term used for creative works not protected by intellectual property laws.
These rights can be made available through an official waiver or forfeit from the creator, or due to its term expiry as is the case for Mickey.
While various countries have their own legal frameworks, present US regulations for films and books state titles produced before 1978 are copyrighted for 95 years.
With film and comic book production beginning the ascent to their respective golden ages nearly a century ago, we can expect more recognisable characters to become public property in the future.
What could that mean? Well, that is up to the imagination of the rest of us. The famed literary character Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain at the start of 2022, leading to the horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, which proved successful enough to spawn a sequel set for 2024.
The earliest iteration of Mickey Mouse, meanwhile, is part of the upcoming independently produced video game Mouse, also set for release later this year.
Unless there are changes to US regulations, here are some of the figures and titles coming our way.
2026: Pluto and The Maltese Falcon
Pluto is the next Disney character to potentially be made available.
His debut appearance was in the 1930 short film The Chain Gang, in which he plays a hound dog in pursuit of the prison escapee Mickey Mouse.
Also becoming available is the seminal detective novel The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, which introduced the world to the iconic detective Sam Spade, most famously played by Humphrey Bogart in the 1941 film adaptation.
2027: Universal's Frankenstein and Dracula
The year will be a boon for horror fans as the early and still iconic film appearances of Frankenstein and Dracula will be on hand courtesy of their respective 1931 films, which could lead to the most famous versions of the characters, played by Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi respectively, becoming available for use.
2030: Donald Duck
Donald Duck is the next up expected Disney character to enter the public domain, due to his debut appearance in 1934's cartoon The Wise Little Hen.
The cartoon has a memorable passage with Donald dancing to the traditional navy tune The Sailor's Hornpipe.
2033: Daffy Duck
A minimal and slightly scrawny version of Daffy Duck is set to enter the public domain.
The version that will likely come avaiable, much like Mickey Mouse, won't exactly resemble the one we know today, as it comes from his first appearance in the 1937 Looney Tunes-produced short Porky's Duck Hunt.
2034: Superman
The year marks the beginning of what could be a seismic development for the DC brand as a number of its key characters will enter the public domain.
In 2034, it will be Superman who becomes available for use first, having appeared in the self-titled comic book in 1938.
2035: Batman
Batman is the next DC character to potentially enter the public fray, long after his introduction in 1939’s Detective Comics #27.
2037: Wonder Woman
After her debut in 1941's All-Star Comics, the original version of Wonder Woman drawn by Harry G Peter expected to become public domain in 2037.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
