BREAKING: Characters You Can Now LEGALLY Sell in 2025!

[@bigshrimpn]

Tin Tin was actually quite popular in the U.S. when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s. They even made a graphically stunning Tin Tin movie here as well.

[@danielmalinen6337]

The Tintin comic released into the public domain is Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. Not later styles and comics. It will still be some time before Herge's entire character is in the public domain, But the first comic is interesting because it has never been adapted and its new colored version was only published in the 2010s. But more than Tintin's release this year, Europe is looking forward to 2034, when Disney's Donald Duck turns 100 and is released into the public domain (originally the year was supposed to be 2030, but it was changed in Europe due to his nearby birthday so it could be celebrated in a big way).

[@e-mananimates2274]

Of course! The Donald Duck comics are still huge over there! I imagine the entire continent would ring the bells and shout from the rooftops!

[@vitaminsminerals9708]

A whole lot of people will be thinking they can use early Mickey Mouse now, without realising the nuance. People shouldn't be using Disney at all, its just safer. The mouse will take your house

[@auntiecaffeinecrafts]

I try to stear clear of allllllll Disney in my writing. Disney is very litigious. As my writing mentor says, you can pay a lot of money to be right.

[@JeffStrange]

@@vitaminsminerals9708 agreed!!! Don’t make the mouse mad or it will take away your cheese!!!

[@kipolem53]

Well that bricks. There is a Silly Symphony entering the public domain in six years that I want to use. When that time comes.

[@timsmythfilmsandanimations]

@@kipolem53 Not everything is trademarked, really just their main characters, and names, and the Disney name. A Silly Symphony may go under the radar.

[@timsmythfilmsandanimations]

@@JeffStrange Well that may be true, at some point folks have to try it out, Disney has had the upper hand for years, even if in the wrong, but with the characters in public domain that will be getting tougher and tougher for them. Folks should use their rights, and at least poke the bear, or mouse in this case. Heck these characters and many ore should have been in the public domain years ago, and thanks to Disney corp and others, we had to wait almost an extra 40 years for this to happen. It is not right, and they should not just get to lose everything, and yet keep it all at the same time, just because they are a big corporation.And I know that is scary, and I myself have no interest in these characters and won't be using them, but they will be of value to others. Everyone has the right to be afraid of Disney, and I get that.

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

Interesting point to make about Mickey Mouse ... last year, of course Mickey's Steamboat Willie image became public domain but only the black handed Mickey...this year, however the iconic white gloves complete the picture!!

[@Jbot123]

Even if the copyright runs out on a particular design, it may still be protected under trademark laws if it's still being used by the owner.

[@timsmythfilmsandanimations]

Trademark is not a continuation of copyright, it is to protect the buyer that the product they thing they are buying was made by the trademark owner. If you explicitly say this is not a Disney product for instance, you should be okay. Though Disney is game to sue on anything they feel is an infraction.

[@Jbot123]

@@timsmythfilmsandanimations Never said it was a continuation of copyright. It's completely different. Disney's original Steamboat Willie cartoon is in public domain, but you can bet your ass that the Steamboat Willie design of Mickey Mouse is still under trademark protections.

[@velvetplans5396]

Starla you're at 99.9K subs that's so exciting! Well deserved ❤

[@StarlaMoore]

So close!

[@gabbybagsnmore6864]

@@StarlaMoore 100k!!! woot woot!!!! :-) Congrats to you and your hard work!

[@Spliner69]

Here’s the real deal. Use the original frames and art, if you re-draw or make anything modern based on the characters, Disney has a lot more money to sue you than you have to defend yourself.

[@WakoDoodle]

The skeleton dance I can see in 2025 getting more remixes around halloween since its one of the top (if not THE top) song people play around that time. Can't wait to see what creative ideas people have with it!

[@WakoDoodle]

@@thebeecubed You're absolutely right! My mistake. XD However this does mean we might get some new skeleton dance footage or music remixes of the original. Would love to have another halloween-themed song to hear. That and 2 skeleton songs are better than one! 👍

[@johnnyc.5979]

Repercussions? On Etsy? I doubt it. Look at all the posters of James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Jane Mansfield, Sophia Loren and more, not to mention all the other memorabilia that are sold without a proper license. And this includes Disney merchandise, clothing with NFL logos, etc. Etsy does nothing to stop these sellers cause they're making a ton of money. They keep their eyes closed.

[@Liz-c7d]

The owner of the copyright has to notify Etsy first before they take action.

[@Kyotopearl]

@@johnnyc.5979 that’s the thing….there are still lots of people who DO get banned for that and you never know when your turn will come up. My husband did something like that on Amazon and we were up to $10,000 in profit per month and 30,000k on holidays with very minimal ads. I told him over and over and over not to play with copyrighted stuff and he didn’t listen. He said the same thing about, “ohhh look at all these other sellers.” Then BAM permanently banned. If you want longevity on these platforms play by the rules to be safe.

[@joclairehall793]

Thank you for the marketing planner! Just what I've been looking for!

[@Kyotopearl]

Watch all the people who try to use vintage Mickey Mouse and still get slapped in the face with a shop suspension or total shut down because the name Mickey Mouse itself is still and will forever be trademarked by Disney. Good luck to the people who are trying to find work arounds for selling Mickie Mouse shirts without saying Mickie Mouse or Disney. Even if you do find that work around given Etsy's reputation on kicking people out out of nowhere...? not worth it.

[@SoloMew151]

Mike The Mouse

[@cjlane5677]

I have seen people just name that version Steam Boat Willie, but we know Mickey Mouse is trademarked but is his name Theodore Mouse still copyright?

[@Kyotopearl]

@@cjlane5677 in school I learned his name was Mortimer Mouse. I’ve never heard Theodore Mouse. That might be something worth looking into especially since even if Disney doesn’t hold it someone out there might

[@Kyotopearl]

@@SoloMew151 😂

[@Kyotopearl]

I just saw another KZbinr pointing out that Disney uses the depiction of Steamboat Willie steering the ship and whistling as the logo for their animation studio and colorizing steamboat Willie to resemble later versions is a no no too because that is still under copyright. If you want to still try your luck it would be a good idea to include a disclaimer in your listing that it is NOT a Disney product cause they could still come after you if they think it causes confusion whether your product is affiliated with Disney.

[@heidieichenberger4033]

Thanks so much for putting together this video…it’s very informative and I enjoyed every second of it! Also thanks so much for your calendar and all the time you spent into it!

[@StarlaMoore]

I'm so glad you found it helpful!

[@60SecondsOrLess]

Etsy is full of copyright violations, it's so sad, I've been with them since 2012

[@addjewelry]

@@60SecondsOrLess Etsy is a cesspool.

[@sarahbissessar1265]

Thank you for the calendars!!! Love your channel! New Etsy shop owner here!! Super helpful!

[@eruvandib.676]

Thank you for this! I always love learning about the new public domain things. Tintin is the one the piques my personal interest the most. I'll have to do some keyword research and see if it gives me any ideas. :)

[@StarlaMoore]

Tintin is a great one! I hope you find some creative ideas!

[@BanazirGalpsi1968]

In the U S. I discovered Tintin through cricket magazine and later my local library. He really is a useful inspiration for humanoid cartoon characters.

[@75kym]

99.9, girl! 🎉 Happy New Year to you and the fam.

[@StarlaMoore]

So close to 100K!

[@chaisewallis7110]

Is there a certain place we can download these from? Where we know for certain it's the originals.

[@StarlaMoore]

Unfortunately there isn't. This is why doing additional research to ensure you're sourcing the 1920s original pieces is absolutely essential.

[@GermanRodriguezqndq]

Wow, this info is a game changer for creatives! Can't wait for 2025-thanks for breaking it down so clearly! Keep the awesome content coming! 🎉

[@CindySimpson-h8o]

Thank you, Starla! Happy New Year!

[@e-mananimates2274]

Horace Horsecollar is finally available, too! I'm looking forward to animating that character (or at least the more vintage version)!

[@Fancylooks]

Is Betty Boop in the public Domain?

[@epicloreentertainment8532]

Not yet. But she will be next year in 2026

[@Fancylooks]

@@epicloreentertainment8532 Thank you!

[@evilrose412]

Thank you Starla. Can you make a video on how to successfully look up public domain things? I was trying to find classical paintings/ painters and can't find what I'm looking for. Also, can we use the original name of public domain image/artist such as "in the style of Monet" ?

[@mkingscott]

Great video, thank you, and happy new year!

[@StarlaMoore]

Happy new year!

[@cherishthemessypainter]

Yeahhhhh congrats on 100K!!!! You deserve it!

[@StarlaMoore]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your support! ❤️

[@NathanWAdams]

Thank you for sharing this content! Also, thank you for sharing the marketing calendar. I look forward to using that calendar to start helping me with opening my own Etsy shop. I definitely don’t know what I’m doing yet, so this will be a huge help to me.

[@professordianaskole]

My mom was totally into dog stories as a child. Pretty sure the dog’s name was Rin Tin Tin, or at least that was the name of the show. And my family is from Southern California, so it was popular in that area, for sure.

[@arcanosam]

very interesting subject. thanks for share

[@MRBRADART]

How would we do titles on a listing? I tried to do a Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse drawing and it was instantly removed by Etsy. I tried to ask them how to do it but never got a response. If anyone knows, thanks😊

[@rosierebels2956]

The phrase "mickey mouse" is trademarked. Common mistake, you can use the vintage image but NOT the name. Same for Winnie the pooh ect.

[@StarlaMoore]

Exactly.

[@MRBRADART]

@@StarlaMoore so how would I create a title? Would I just say “cartoon Mouse”? I don’t think that would rank…

[@rosierebels2956]

@MRBRADART that's where it's tricky and imo often not worth the effort.

[@researchandbuild1751]

Just use "Nickey Mouse" it's not the same :D lol

[@LiilReyy]

Thank you Starla, you’re amazing as always, but I have a question, how we can let Etsy know is public domain and not protected without getting suspension, in the description or title or how?

[@StarlaMoore]

📅 Grab my Free 2025 Etsy Marketing Calendars here: bit.ly/2025EtsyCalendar

[@savannahh9086]

Congrats on 100k!!!!🎉

[@StarlaMoore]

Thank you so much! 🙏

[@lauraprill5576]

Thank you Starla!! Happy New Year 🎉

[@StarlaMoore]

Happy New Year to you too!

[@ElizabethMV_]

Por favor Incluye la pista de audio en español como en los anteriores videos, ayuda muchisimo!! Felicidades por llegar a los 100k!! Y gracias por cada contenido valioso que nos aportas

[@SirenSaysStudio]

Thanks so much for the calendar and all you put out there all year long… so helpful!

[@StarlaMoore]

You are so welcome!

[@Yasha4life]

Im from the USA and I actually loved tin-tin

[@ToyBot-101]

The modern interpretations only protect the specific changes that are protectable when you subtract all the details of the original. If the new versions are not much different from the old versions, they don't have much protection at all. for example, coloring the old cartoon, like the new one, would not be infringement, because blue pants and brown shoes and a black and red sailor uniform are not protectable on their own, when you remove the original character's design which is now public domain. any character could wear similar color clothes without it being an infringement, so its not infringement to color the original, or to adjust the proportions. The newer versions have a very weak copyright case when the underlying design becomes public domain.

[@Xray_Mike]

Good video. Thanks for making it!

[@Viqtor]

Congratz on 100k

[@GLC-93]

What about buck rogers?

[@ladygodeeva785]

Still Owned by King Features Syndicate and Universal.

[@partymantis3421]

@@ladygodeeva785 unfortunate yes, While Buck rogers debut comic published in Amazing stories magazine is in the public domain. Universal is still gripping tight the Buck Rogers character rights, Kinda like how Steamboat Willie Mickey is now free game, while Disney still holds the rights to him

[@budwittman4907]

how is this affected by the first sale doctrine? say i buy stuff from one person and then i resell it?

[@marinaescobar22]

Hi! I am trying to redeem the eRank free trial but it doesn't show. What should I do? Thank you!!:)

[@alisaandersen8441]

How are SO many ppl selling Disney products and getting away with it? For YEARS. Unless they are paying for the rights. But if you’re paying for the rights isn’t it expensive? And isn’t it hard to get accepted?

[@astralyeti]

tintin was popular in america

[@21_f_aus]

I watched this on 1st January 2025, I use to watch tintin when I was growing up, such a great cartoon and I think I also saw some comics too as a youngun... As for popeye I remember watching him too both in the 90's, my cousins and I would sing popeye the sailor man who lives in a garbage can, he eats all the worms and spits out the germs, he's popeye the sailorman... the good old days

[@StarlaMoore]

It's amazing how those old cartoons stick with us, isn't it?

[@ModRebelMockups]

how to find out out what chars are public domain? like how did u come to discover these chars just came into pub domain?

[@prosfilaes]

In the US, anything that was published at least 95 years ago is in the public domain. So this year, anything before 1930 is public domain.

[@cordobesa89]

Does this work for Amazon POD?

[@VirtualPinballMachines]

Congrats on one hundred 💯 k subs

[@StarlaMoore]

Thank you so much! 🥳

[@Dude_Duude_DuUUDE]

Thanks for telling me to grab my coffee - I'm always letting them go cold 😇

[@randomrickreviewsrrr4662]

Cool info post.

[@brucec1079]

Thanks so much for the calendar. Although I think there might be 2 typos for April ? It’s says Palm Sunday is in March ?

[@StarlaMoore]

You are right! I am so sorry! I'll have to go back and double check that.

[@jayman6608]

Do not use Mickey Mouse at all. One of the things Disney did to try to protect it because they could no longer push back the rights was to start placing it in front of movies in a short clip as a logo. Because of this the early Mickey Mouse is copyrighted under logo wall and therefore We'll get you Sued.

[@ryanhau1073]

It's Slasher Time

[@sheilawillis2430]

TinTin! That’s fantastic.

[@Leto2ndAtreides]

The "more recent versions may still be under copyright" stuff sounds annoying... You should be able to create a modern spin on the old stuff.

[@hrvstmusic]

@@Leto2ndAtreides that’s not how copyright law works tho unless it’s a parody

[@flaggov6949]

I think you might be able to do a modern spin as long as your modernized version of old Mickey doesn't look anything like a version with current protections.

[@outoftheforest7652]

great, now watch everyone making Popeye the Sailor into a horror movie..

[@danielpicassomunoz2752]

Gotta bring down the years to public domain down to 10, maybe 15. Gotta make it free for all

[@jojoverdejo]

I wonder if I can do for classic anime characters in 2025, but I really don’t want to make them modern. I don’t modern style.

[@spud69g]

Why does Caillou look like Tin Tin...

[@TheAcphytum]

Alright people, listen up. Do NOT sell stuff with Mickey Mouse in it, no matter what it is the public domain, companies have protected their IPs with Trademarks and can still sue you for everything you have if you so ANYTHING with their stuff.

[@Iluvpaws_1]

Love the skeleton dance.

[@mystif1976]

popeye with spinach is still not free, in the early comics he rubber his companion to get muscles, saw elsewhere weird I know

[@anthonythomasexperience]

I want touch Disney at all

[@HGoyas]

Just Popeye or Brutus and olivia as well ?

[@sherpya]

lol disclaimer --> Walt Disney 😅

[@MrJoshinJosh]

I definitely liked it better when Carl W Stalling provided Mickey Mouse’s voice. It wasn’t as painful nor as irritating as it is today🙄

[@samjohnson2801]

Ha this video just keeps playing the firts 5 seconds over and over

[@_HMCB_]

I appreciate the channel’s efforts but getting legal advice from someone on KZbin seems like a bad idea.

[@StarlaMoore]

@_HMCB_ i state at the beginning that it is not legal advice and to always perform additional research before making products based on IP.

[@richharvey9153]

Popeye ... I don't believe Popeye is public domain. The material created in 1929 might be public domain. But everything thereafter is stuill copyrighted. and Trademarked.

[@Moonrokk]

So in our listing titles we're ok to have "Mickey Mouse" in it?

[@StarlaMoore]

Since the name is still protected, I do not believe you can. The name Steamboat Willie is now in the public domain though.

[@vitaminsminerals9708]

its only that particular image, from that time. "Mickey Mouse" will always be protected

[@BLINGofBOSTON]

💙🩵🤍