紐時賞析／初代「米老鼠」版權解禁！ 這些動畫角色10年內將迎來自由

按美国法律，1928年发表的「汽船威利号」（Steamboat Willie）版本米老鼠在今年元旦版权届期，进入公共领域。（纽约时报）

Free at Last For Mickey And Friends

米奇和朋友们终获自由 二创蓄势待发

If you’re the creative type and you’re struggling to come up with your next idea, do not fear: some big works, including the original version of Mickey Mouse, entered the public domain Monday in the United States.

若你是创作人，又正苦于发想下个点子，别怕：一些重要作品，包括原版的米老鼠米奇，已于元旦在美国进入公共领域。

And if, on the other hand, you prefer your Disney characters to be cute, cuddly and never-changing, well, ... you might want to stop reading.

反之，若你更想要你的迪士尼角色能够可爱、令人想拥入怀中且永远不变，那么…你可能会想要就此打住不读。

In 2024, thousands of copyrighted works published in 1928 entered the public domain, after their 95-year term expired.

数千件在1928年发表、受版权保护的作品，随着95年的期限届满，在2024年进到了公共领域。

This means that those characters and stories can be remade — on the page, stage or screen — without permission. (Finally, I can make that Peter Pan musical in which a middle-aged Peter laments unexplained back pains at the end of Act I.)

这意味着那些角色和故事得以在未经许可之下，于书页、舞台或者萤幕上进行重制。（我终于可以制作那部彼得潘的音乐剧了，剧中第一幕尾声中将会有个中年的彼得哀怨自己没有来由的背痛。）

“It’s important for the preservation of our cultural record, for meaningful access to older works for inspiring future creativity,” said Jennifer Jenkins, director for the Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke Law School.

杜克大学法学院公共领域研究中心主任珍妮佛．詹金斯指出：「对于我们文化纪录的保存、为了启发未来创意而有意义的取用过往作品来说，这很重要。」

The creme de la creme of this year’s public domain class are Mickey Mouse and, of course, Minnie, or at least black-and-white versions of our favorite squeaky rodents that appeared in “Steamboat Willie.” The Walt Disney Co. is famously litigious, and this copyright only covers the original versions of the character.

今年进入公共领域者之中，翘楚正是米老鼠米奇，当然还有米妮，或者说至少是这两只备受钟爱、吱吱叫的啮齿动物在「汽船威利号」里登场的黑白版本。迪士尼公司以热爱兴讼知名，而该项版权仅包括角色的初始版本。

Tigger was also liberated Monday and could soon be reunited with Winnie-the-Pooh in the reborn character’s next slasher film. Yes, you read that right. In a preview of what could be awaiting other 95-year-old icons, the silly old bear became a sledgehammer-wielding monster in “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.” The sequel is slated for February.

跳跳虎也在元旦脱离束缚，很快就可以和小熊维尼在该角色脱胎换骨后的下一部砍杀电影里团聚。是的，你没看错。在「小熊维尼：血与蜜」中，这头傻气的老熊化身为挥舞着大锤的怪兽，让人预见可能等着其他95岁明星的角色。该片续集预定2月推出。

And if that still isn’t enough to get you started, just wait. Over the next decade, freedom awaits all of these characters: Popeye; Pluto; Donald Duck; King Kong (the original film version); Superman; Daffy Duck; Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and others from the Hobbit; James Bond; Batman; and Captain Marvel.

而如果那还不够让你开始着手，就等等吧。未来10年间，这些角色都将迎来自由：（大力水手）卜派、布鲁托、唐老鸭、金刚（初代电影版）、超人、达菲鸭、比尔博．巴金斯、甘道夫和其他「哈比人历险记」的角色、詹姆士庞德、蝙蝠侠、惊奇队长等。

Get to work, people. And remember, “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.”*

开始动工吧，大家。然后请千万记得：「自由就是没有什么能再失去的换句话说。」*

*This song lyric is still under copyright until 2064.

*这首歌的歌词直到2064年仍受版权保护。

文／Sopan Deb 译／高诣轩