Morgan & Morgan, America’s largest injury law firm, has dismissed its proactive lawsuit against Disney to use Steamboat Willie in an advertisement.
Morgan & Morgan Lawsuit
In September 2025, Morgan & Morgan filed their suit against Disney for a declaratory judgment stating that their Steamboat Willie ad doesn’t infringe on Disney’s trademark or other intellectual property laws. The ad features Mickey Mouse piloting the Steamboat Willie boat and crashing into Minnie Mouse’s car. Minnie is shown hiring Morgan & Morgan and then receiving a bag of money from Mickey. The ad includes verbal and visual disclaimers that indicate it was not “approved, authorized, or endorsed by Disney.”
According to News 6, the law firm contacted Disney about the ad, hoping they would be assured of no legal action. Disney did not comply, and the day after that contact was made, the company sued a Hong Kong-based jewelry company for its “Mickey 1928 Collection.”
Here is the ad as presented by News 6:
Lawsuit Dismissal
On November 12, 2025, Morgan & Morgan filed a voluntary dismissal of their lawsuit with the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. They dismissed the suit without prejudice, so it can be refiled if needed.
According to Reuters, Disney didn’t respond to the lawsuit.
Mickey In The Public Domain
Steamboat Willie, as well as Minnie and Mickey, as they appeared in that cartoon, became public domain on January 1, 2024. This allowed projects such as the horror film Screamboat to move forward. However, Disney has made it clear that it will protect its copyright, even as these characters become more available for public use. Ahead of the public domain release, a Disney spokesperson stated:
“More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright, and Mickey will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company in our storytelling, theme park attractions, and merchandise. We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright.”
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