Popeye popped up the next January in a strip called Thimble Theater by cartoonist E.C. Segar. A character named Castor Oyl, ...

Following recent notable additions to the public domain that include Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse ...

However, since 2019, some of those existing copyrights have been expiring, meaning that those characters entered the public domain, as their owners lost exclusive rights to their likeness.

Popeye, Tintin and other classic comic characters will enter the public domain in 2025. New stories with twists on the characters are already in development. NPR reports that Jan. 1 will be the ...

And the Disney icon's public domain presence expands ... and is the kind of character element that could spawn legal disputes. And the animated shorts featuring his distinctive mumbly voice ...