What Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse can tell us about the public domain and remix culture

By ANDREW DALTON
AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have recently entered the public domain, making it possible for artists to use them freely. In the years to come they’ll be followed by a parade of pop culture figures, from King Kong to Superman. Some think that after years where Hollywood was only interested in films and TV shows that showed off their intellectual property, a fatigue from the same recycled characters will descend. Plenty of independent artists have seized the moment, however. The sequel to the slasher film “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” drops Friday, and many variations of “The Great Gatsby” have appeared since it went public in 2021.