Technically this post is illegal until tomorrow, but I dig that.
It’s still illegal. This version of Mickey Mouse is still covered under trademark law.
Trademark. Not copyright. And the part that is covered is Mickey.
This could also be covered under copyright, since the only Mickey that went into public domain is the one from Steamboat Willie, not this one. I’m not a lawyer, though.
Would using a VPN make posting it from NZ illegal right after midnight if the IP is logged from a country not past midnight?
Not really. I think it’s considered free speech if it’s sarcastic or a parody.
Free speech doesn’t apply to Intellectual Property at all, or rather you’re free to say whatever you want but you can still be sued for anything that you say.
What you’re thinking of is “Fair Use”.
