So you basically just can’t use the character in the exact same way? How far does that go though? What if I made a Winnie the Pooh show that’s exactly the same but instead of Christopher Robbins it’s Kristoffer Robkins?
How close does it have to be? Is any shirt not allowed? Would a red tank top be OK? Or maybe put him in a maroon shirt? What if he wears a red shirt with a white collar? Feels like splitting hairs, but there IS a line somewhere.
This is Disney we talk about so getting sued is probably expected, they will explain in court how your character ripped of theirs, you defend. Court decides.
If you can point to a non Disney older source where these same details are present you have a likely win.
If there is a Christopher Robbins in the original you can use the name but if there is not it then having roughly the same letters or sound will likely be a loss.
Of course this more assumed law theory of not a layer. Some rich dudes can just trademark the name of fruit, a basic word or even a single letter and we just let them.
Thinking of “fake Winnie Poohs”, I was gaslit by my parents into thinking that the Soviet version of Winnie the Pooh I grew up watching was the OG and that the yellow bear in a red shirt was derivative of it. I couldn’t believe it when I found out that the Soviet version was the “fake” lol
So you basically just can’t use the character in the exact same way? How far does that go though? What if I made a Winnie the Pooh show that’s exactly the same but instead of Christopher Robbins it’s Kristoffer Robkins?
I recall the red shirt is one of the key things that identifies it as Disney’s version, so gotta keep Pooh naked
That’s what -I- said, but the judge wasn’t having it!
How close does it have to be? Is any shirt not allowed? Would a red tank top be OK? Or maybe put him in a maroon shirt? What if he wears a red shirt with a white collar? Feels like splitting hairs, but there IS a line somewhere.
That’s up to courts to decide, which would be heavily in Disney’s favor. So make him obviously different or you’re probably gonna lose.
This is Disney we talk about so getting sued is probably expected, they will explain in court how your character ripped of theirs, you defend. Court decides.
If you can point to a non Disney older source where these same details are present you have a likely win.
If there is a Christopher Robbins in the original you can use the name but if there is not it then having roughly the same letters or sound will likely be a loss.
Of course this more assumed law theory of not a layer. Some rich dudes can just trademark the name of fruit, a basic word or even a single letter and we just let them.
Thinking of “fake Winnie Poohs”, I was gaslit by my parents into thinking that the Soviet version of Winnie the Pooh I grew up watching was the OG and that the yellow bear in a red shirt was derivative of it. I couldn’t believe it when I found out that the Soviet version was the “fake” lol