After taking a few months off to let the stench of their Lil Nas X Satan Shoes gimmick wear off, the clever creators at MSCHF are going after an iconic fictional character.
Mickey Mouse.
The Hollywood Reporter had a story of what might be causing Disney CEO Bob Chapek a little indigestion and Walt Disney to roll in his grave.
The Brooklyn-based MSCHF has launched what they are calling “X Famous Mouse.” It’s a token they are selling.
In the promotional material they released, there was no mention of “Mickey Mouse,” and the imagery they are using is not exactly a full depiction of Mickey Mouse.
It’s all a preview of what could be happening soon. The image for the token is a placeholder, and with it comes a ticking clock. The tokens are being sold for $100, and there are 1,000 copies available.
The real collectible token will be delivered, and the image on it will be an un-flattering image of Mickey, when Disney’s copyright on Mickey Mouse is set to expire in 2024. That’s when the deal becomes official.
Believe it or not, Disney is set to lose the copyright to Mickey Mouse in three years. The company has owned it since Mickey made his debut in the 1928 cartoon Steamboat Willie.
MSCHF is one of the biggest, and most savvy troll artists in all the land. They might be opening themselves up to some legal issues with the stunt, but judging by their “manifesto” on the token, they don’t seem to care.
“Disney is a true multinational behemoth, able to change national laws to suit the interests of a cartoon mouse. Disney is a massive all-swallowing conglomerate, with a desire for both industry dominance and cultural hegemony. It is ever-growing, all-encompassing, risk-averse and society-blandening. We must leap at the chance to take back even the scant morsels available to us. At the slightest chance we must eat them alive.”
Okay. So keep an eye on this story. In the past, Disney has been successful in extending copyrights by leveraging their relationships and contacts in the government, and it might happen again with Mickey.
If it does, MSCHF says they will just extend the time on the ticking clock.
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