Professor Victoria Schwartz Quoted in "Republicans Took Away Disney's Special Status in Florida. Now They're Gunning for Mickey Himself" -- Los Angeles Times

Professor Victoria L. Schwartz is quoted in the Los Angeles Times article, "Republicans Took Away Disney's Special Status in Florida. Now They're Gunning for Mickey Himself." The article examines the expiration in 2024 of copyright protection for the original animated version of Disney's Mickey Mouse, and the effort by a group of Republican lawmakers to oppose extending the protection. 

Excerpt from "Republicans Took Away Disney's Special Status in Florida. Now They're Gunning for Mickey Himself"

It’s possible that Disney is protecting Mickey in another subtle way: The company began several years ago to insert snippets of the “Steamboat Willie” cartoon at the opening logo for many modern Disney animations, including “Tangled,” “Frozen” and “Moana.”

It’s a move that may establish the 1928 version of Mickey as a modern Disney logo or trademark, which would remain protected even if the copyright expires, said Victoria Schwartz, who teaches intellectual property law, copyright law and entertainment law at Pepperdine University.

“They have clearly been preparing for this possibility for many years,” she said.

The complete article may be found at Los Angeles Times