Morgan & Morgan dropped a lawsuit against Disney on Wednesday that asked a judge to rule the law firm could use an adaptation of the nearly century-old “Steamboat Willie” cartoon in one of its ads.

The Orlando-based personal injury firm asked a federal court to dismiss the suit without prejudice, meaning another legal action could be filed in the future.

Morgan & Morgan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The filing did not specify why the suit was dropped or if a settlement had been reached.

The 1928 “Steamboat Willie” animated short, featuring the official debut of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, entered the public domain last year, but Disney still holds trademark rights as well as copyright protections for later, more modern versions of the characters.

The suit asked a judge to declare that the law firm’s proposed commercial does not infringe on any of Disney’s intellectual property rights and block the entertainment giant from filing suit against Morgan & Morgan over its ad.

Morgan & Morgan’s proposed 37-second, black-and-white ad shows a Minnie Mouse-type character calling the law firm after Mickey Mouse crashes a boat into her car. It includes a disclaimer that the ad was not approved, authorized or endorsed by Disney.

In a statement Wednesday, Disney vowed to enforce its intellectual property rights.

“Disney remains committed to guarding against unlawful copyright and trademark infringement to avoid consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey Mouse and our other iconic characters,” said Katie Rosborough, a Disney spokeswoman.

She declined to comment further on the case.

A copyright provides legal protections for original creative works. Those exclusive rights, though, expire 70 years after the author’s death or 95 years after first publication. Such works are said to have entered the public domain, and others can copy or modify them without permission or fees.

A trademark, on the other hand, does not expire and protects a brand’s distinguishing logos, words or designs. A trademark infringement lawsuit could be successfully brought if someone is using a company’s mark in a way that confuses consumers.

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