Disney lawsuit case story

[ImMeNo1Ls]

okay people, i had stayed out of this thread for awhile because of
where i live and my intense dislike for its heavy handed practices
toward print and broadcast news reporting agencies (newspapers,
radio and television) threatening to pull all advertising from any
who report about kidnapped children and/or the people mugged, maimed
or murdered in or around its domain.

here’s a good reason for not even thinking about reproducing
anything that could be remotely construed as similar to a disney
design: w.e.d. will attempt to rip out both your ankles and your
kneecaps through your ears in order to leave you without a leg to
stand on in court. personal knowledge first hand case: my partner’s
parents started an rv park not far from disney (initial outlay about
$250,000.00) they named after his mother’s favorite fairy tale,
‘snow white’, from her, and my partner’s, native germany. disney
pounced with a suit. the parents answered in disbelief because the
fairy tale had been in the public domain in germany and the world
for eons. disney got nastier. more disbelief from parents who
countered that it was not disney’s right to have proprietary
ownership of any part of another country’s literary heritage. bottom
line: disney lost the suit - the only loss i’ve heard about. so…
unless you have an equally strong case - leave disney designs alone.

ive -
who has watched disney ruin her home town.

[Ken_Ferrell]

Many years ago in another galaxy I was working for a shop that had
two of the cutest mouse charms that looked very similar to two other
well known mice. One male and one female, I don’t think I’ll need to
use their names as those names are Copyrighted up the wazoo. To make
the point, in a then small town of Vallejo CA. a man came into the
shop and bought a pair of these extremely adorable little charms in
14kt. 3 days later the owner of the shop received a certified letter
telling him to cease and desist producing those charms.

These had never been advertised, nor were the Disney CO. rodents
names ever used. My employer took the letter to his attorney and was
advised that if he ever wanted to reproduce children that he had
better destroy the molds, or Disney would serve him his manhood on a
plate, turned out that another shop in Napa got the same letter and
they too were informed by their Lawyer to do what we did. We
destroyed the molds, and melted the existing stock.

Thank heavens that were about 26 or 27 years ago, I really don’t
think that they are as kind now. I believe they now don’t bother with
any formalities such as asking you to stop, I think now they just sue
you and hang you out to dry, My wife wears the masters on her charm
bracelet and has turned down many offers to sell them. Kenneth
Ferrell http://www.shadras.com

[David_Barzilay]

I thought I had posted this story before, but couldn’t find it in
Archives. A few years ago, a woman referred by a set designer client
came to me with a pair of costume jewelry “Mickey” and “Minnie” which
she had bought at Disneyland. Could I duplicate them in 14K gold as
cufflinks for her husband, who had just been hired as a vice-president
at Disney Studios. Answer: “yes, I COULD” but “no, I won’t” Your
husband’s employer wouldn’t allow it.

“If you can get me WRITTEN permission from Disney’s legal department,
I will do it ONCE, and give them the molds to destroy. His secretary
will probably know who to contact to ask.”

Needless to say…they wouldn’t even consider it. David Barzilay,
Lord of the Rings

David Barzilay
Lord of the Rings
607 S Hill St Ste 850
Los Angeles, CA 90014-1718
213-488-9157