Jeffool

I completely understand this is not direct legal advice. (And I'm eager to ask because normally I only find these well after you've finished and gone!)

Copyright is a work. Trademark is a symbol or word to represent a company or product.

If works featuring Mickey Mouse pass into the public domain in 2019 (obviously doubtful), will we all be able to create Mickey Mouse cartoons and derivatives? Or just use/publish the ones that lapse into the public domain? And will we be able to use the name "Mickey Mouse" in promotions, seeing as a trademark is theoretically forever? I imagine we wouldn't be able to use the infamous "mouse ears" logo.

... This is a big question, I know. Feel free to take your time. But I can never find a well written article on practical application of things lapsing into the public domain. And looking for real live examples always seem to yield odd results, reading about legal threats and a bunch of non-answers. Is it really that big of a gray area?

Famously there's the Happy Birthday debacle that only resolved recently. It seems rights holders (understandably to a degree) try to keep a deathgrip on things even lapsed into the public domain.

I'm in agreement it'll likely be extended again (that Disney has influenced so much, and it's so close to passing into public domain again is exactly why I used him as an example.)

Thanks for summing it up short and sweet; love reading your gamedev stuff all the time. You rock man.

So, is more Queeblo (NSFW) in our near future? Because you have no idea how awesomely that chill groove soothed.

So you're married to Ashley, making her Ashley Burch. Seems like there would be material in that for the show, yet it's only been used in season two's underlying plot. Would it otherwise be a joke too far?

Also, fuck waffles.

When you forgive someone's debt, how will you let them know?

May I suggest doing a few in person, a la Publisher's Clearinghouse?