Which company significantly benefited from the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act of 1998?

The Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act of 1998 extended the duration of copyright protection for an additional 20 years. This was particularly advantageous for companies that hold valuable intellectual property and characters whose copyrights were nearing expiration.

Disney significantly benefited from this act because many of its iconic characters, such as Mickey Mouse, were approaching the end of their copyright term. By extending the copyright, Disney was able to maintain control over its lucrative characters and the associated merchandising, licensing, and media revenues. This extension allowed the company to protect its intellectual property rights, thereby significantly impacting its financial prospects and market position.

In contrast, other companies listed didn’t have the same level of dependency on character-based copyrights for their revenue streams or were not as affected by the copyright duration in relation to their core businesses.