John Oliver Dares Disney to Sue Over His Mickey Mouse Mascot

HBO Max’s Last Week Tonight has a “brand new character for the show” and damned if it doesn’t come with two huge black ears, big-buttoned pants, and a goofy grin. John Oliver was pleased as punch to introduce his new friend to viewers last … wait, is that the sound of Disney lawyers pounding on the studio door?

Probably, but it’s not clear they can do anything about Oliver (or anyone else) using this particular version of Mickey Mouse since Disney is about to lose its copyright on the original Steamboat Willy character after 95 years. Technically, early versions of the mouse don’t enter the public domain until next year, but Oliver and Last Week Tonight are “staking our claim to Mickey Mouse right now.” mickey mouse tee shirts

Oliver is doing a goof (... right?) but he knows Disney isn’t going down without a fight. The only reason the Steamboat Willy version isn’t already in the public domain is because mouse attorneys successfully got a bill passed in the early 2000s to extend Disney’s rights. And now, the company’s legal eagles will likely argue that “this early Mickey’s image is so closely associated with their company that people automatically assume that any image of him was produced or authorized by them” — meaning Disney will likely sue the short pants off of anyone who tries to appropriate any version of the mouse.