Florida-headquartered personal injury firm Morgan & Morgan has created a black-and-white animated advert based on Mickey’s first cartoon, Steamboat Willie.

The advert depicts Mickey crashing his boat into a car driven by Minnie, who then calls Morgan & Morgan for legal advice.

Steamboat Willie, which was released in 1928, entered the public domain from 1 January 2024.

However, Morgan & Morgan pre-emptively wrote to Disney to confirm that releasing the advert would not lead to a trademark infringement lawsuit.

Disney allegedly declined to give a definitive answer, saying it would not offer legal advice to third parties.

Morgan & Morgan subsequently launched a federal lawsuit against Disney to seek a quick ruling on the matter, FOX 13 News reports.

Disney has yet to comment on the lawsuit.