What happens with the intellectual properties of a company when they close down?

Question

Let’s say The Walt Disney Company somehow went bankrupt and closed down and all movies, plushies and toys stop being made.
 
What happens with the things that already exist? Will the ideas enter the public domain or will they be given to someone? Could they be used and distributed freely? If not, who will manage them?

In: Other

Answer 1

Rights, like intellectual property rights, only really matter if there is someone to assert them. If no one purchases the rights, then they might as well be in the public domain, as no one will have any standing to file lawsuits or other actions against any infringers.