Disney Fights Unlicensed 'Star Wars,' 'Frozen' Characters at Children's Birthday Parties - Sensationalist Headlines

[url]http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/disney-fights-unlicensed-star-wars-frozen-characters-at-childrens-birthday-parties-1049247[/url] [quote]Yes, Hollywood studios tend to be fiercely protective of their intellectual property. These studios will often sue over unlicensed merchandise in the marketplace. Usually, these cases go away quickly and quietly. The defendants tend not to have the resources to fight back. Settlements and stipulated judgments are the norm. Well, not this time. On Friday, summary judgment papers came in a lawsuit that Disney has filed in New York against Nick Sarelli, who runs an operation called Characters for Hire, LLC. Disney alleges that Sarelli has a "knock-off business... built upon the infringement of Plaintiffs' highly valuable intellectual property rights," including the fictional characters Darth Vader, Iron Man, and Elsa and Anna from Frozen. Disney is upset how this company "provides unlicensed and poor quality appearances and performances" by actors dressed as "iconic characters for themed events, such as children's parties." The lawsuit claims that the costumed actors appearing at these events and the advertising associated with this enterprise represent a violation of both its copyrights and trademark rights. Anyone who has ever visited Times Square in New York City might wonder about the costumed characters taking pictures with tourists for money. The New York Police Department once even tried to get Disney to crack down. Disney didn't take the bait, but for whatever reason, Mickey Mouse has put its foot down for Characters for Hire. Characters for Hire tried using disclaimers how these characters weren't associated with Disney, Marvel or Lucasfilm. That didn't work. Not even attempts by defendants to use fake names in lieu of real ones has appeased Disney.[/quote]

They're trying to drain an ocean with a bucket here. Disney/Marvel/Star Wars knock offs are so commonplace it's be impossible to crack down on all of them.

[QUOTE=Fapplejack;52785816]They're trying to drain an ocean with a bucket here. Disney/Marvel/Star Wars knock offs are so commonplace it's be impossible to crack down on all of them.[/QUOTE] Doesn't seem like they are honestly, the article noted that Disney ignored people doing it in times square even despite requests to deal with it so they're being pretty selective. Likely they're going after Characters for Hire because they've gotten big enough to matter, they're a multinational company with a lot of locations.

Shit has been going on for decades Disney, you're too late to combat it now.

[QUOTE=BANNED USER;52785885]Shit has been going on for decades Disney, you're too late to combat it now.[/QUOTE] I mean, if they were really dedicated to doing this, they'd go right to the source of where 90% of the knockoff merch was coming from - China. But good luck trying to get the Chinese to respect copyright law. :v:

Yes, but what about girl games?

[QUOTE=usaokay;52785825]Impossible to combat when a guy could buy 100 sponges and glue, and call himself Spongebob. Case in point: [t]https://i.imgur.com/FQKKaun.jpg[/t][/QUOTE] [video]https://youtu.be/mpvyAYqq4Hs?t=195[/video] Relevant story starts at 3:15 or so

what about those disturbing youtube videos aimed at kids

Hold on they'd rather chase people buying or making costumes rather than the shit on youtube that has spider-man and Elsa being injected with needles and shit?

-snip, was a different organization with the same name-

[QUOTE=LaughingStock;52786067]what about those disturbing youtube videos aimed at kids[/QUOTE] I'm sure its on the agenda, but with those they'll demonotize the ones that aren't vulgar and copyright strike the ones that are.

This is the equivalent of that scene in V for Vendetta with all the people wearing the Guy Fawkes mask.

[QUOTE=LaughingStock;52786067]what about those disturbing youtube videos aimed at kids[/QUOTE] Or the people in NYC who dress up in shoddy costumes and harass tourists for tips. [t]https://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1.11665623.1460063557!/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/landscape_1280/image.jpeg[/t] [t]https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/new_york_97116289.jpg?quality=90&strip=all[/t]

[QUOTE=simzboy;52786182]Or the people in NYC who dress up in shoddy costumes and harass tourists for tips. [t]https://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1.11665623.1460063557!/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/landscape_1280/image.jpeg[/t] [t]https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/new_york_97116289.jpg?quality=90&strip=all[/t][/QUOTE] None of them can even be bothered to have gloves of any sort :ok:

[QUOTE=Furnost;52786245]None of them can even be bothered to have gloves of any sort :ok:[/QUOTE] I reckon it's hard to operate a camera, or handle money, wearing big white gloves.

[QUOTE=Lollipoopdeck;52786077]Hold on they'd rather chase people buying or making costumes rather than the shit on youtube that has spider-man and Elsa being injected with needles and shit?[/QUOTE] TBH Youtube videos should be left alone

[QUOTE=GordonZombie;52786307]TBH Youtube videos should be left alone[/QUOTE] Why? People on youtube are making money off of copyrighted content just like these people who are getting sued.

[QUOTE=GordonZombie;52786307]TBH Youtube videos should be left alone[/QUOTE] No thank you. I'd rather not have my search results terminally ill with this borderline pedophile fetish elsa/spiderman videos.

[QUOTE=snookypookums;52785894]I mean, if they were really dedicated to doing this, they'd go right to the source of where 90% of the knockoff merch was coming from - China. But good luck trying to get the Chinese to respect copyright law. :v:[/QUOTE] That's not how you fight that, at all, at least in America. You go to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and get them to seize the goods at the border. [url="https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ipr_guide.pdf"]They have a whole thing on how to do that.[/url] (PDF alert)

[QUOTE=usaokay;52785825]Impossible to combat when a guy could buy 100 sponges and glue, and call himself Spongebob. Case in point: [t]https://i.imgur.com/FQKKaun.jpg[/t][/QUOTE] if they are the nerdy type though, those pants are in fact square.

[QUOTE=simzboy;52786182][t]https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/new_york_97116289.jpg?quality=90&strip=all[/t][/QUOTE] Which one of those Elmos is the racist one?