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Legal sparring between Disney and Deadmau5 reveals existence of new Fantasia project?

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To say that the Walt Disney Company is known for the fierce protection of its intellectual property (copyright, trademarks, etc) is probably the understatement of the year. So I was not surprised when they asked musician Deadmau5 (aka Joel Zimmerman) not to trademark his ‘trademark’ DJ costume. Like the name implies, it resembles a mouse. Disney has a trademark on the look and feel of Mickey Mouse so they were understandably worried. But the two really don’t have anything in common other than what mice naturally share (ears, eyes, and a mouth).

I think Disney might be making a mountain out of a molehill on this one. As a creature, a mouse is pretty ubiquitous. No one, even an idiot in a hurry, is going to confuse the technopunk Deadmau5 headpiece with the classic Mickey Mouse silhouette. Letting Zimmerman have his intellectual property appear on toys, clothing, or other products will in no way harm Disney’s vast wealth in the same arena.

Since I expect Deadmau5 to win pretty handily in court, I’ve been paying attention to the case only loosely. But a story in The Hollywood Reporter today, caught my attention. Turns out, while one arm of Disney was preparing to sue Deadmau5, another appendage was asking him to collaborate.

Disney’s music division asked him if he wanted to produce some music for Disney’s new animated series Star Wars Rebels. But he lost that opportunity because of the dispute. Disney, through a third party, also offered him the opportunity of contributing to a live concert series commemorating the 75th anniversary of Fantasia. In the invitation, Disney’s business partner states:

“Deadmau5 is the most innovative musician of our time, and Disney the most successful entertainment brand to ever exist. Bringing these two visionaries together, with this particular franchise, provides for an incredible opportunity that could touch millions of people around the world.”

They even sent Deadmau5 a mockup of his intellectual property combined with Disneys iconic Sorcerer Mickey (above).
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Disney has a Times Square Problem

When you think of Disney in Times Square, NYC. the company wants you to think of this

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and this

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and this

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But what a large portion of the 1.4 million tourists that pass through Times Square see every week is this

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and this

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It’s not a good situation. A half-decade or so ago in New York, there was just an occasional Mickey Mouse hanging out near the ABC studios trying not to look bored, a few years ago Elmo joined in the fun, but now there’s dozens of these costumed characters (often many duplicates of the same characters) just hanging out hoping that someone will give them a tip after posing for a picture with them.

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Will Disney’s Copyright on Mickey Mouse Ever Expire?

Fifteen years ago Congress passed a 20 year extension of copyright in the USA. The Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act was also known as the Mickey Mouse Copyright Extension as The Walt Disney Company’s desire to keep Mickey Mouse protected by copyright was a significant… Read More »Will Disney’s Copyright on Mickey Mouse Ever Expire?

Oil Company renames itself Pixar

After reading a strange press release found by Big Screen Animation blog, I had to double-check the calendar to make sure it wasn’t already April Fools day. A Canadian oil company has renamed itself after Pixar Animation Studios, perhaps in hopes of capitalizing on the… Read More »Oil Company renames itself Pixar

Shop Owner Sued by Disney over Pooh Business Name

This is the sort of story I think we should see more of in the business world. The Walt Disney Company has a long history of aggressively protecting their trademarks. Of late, Disney has spent a lot of time in the court room trying to… Read More »Shop Owner Sued by Disney over Pooh Business Name

Twitter takes Disney handle away from user

Cheri Thomas was an early adopter of Twitter. She’s also a fan of the Walt Disney Company, so when she saw that the @Disney handle was available, she took it, and thousands of Disney fans, myself included, have been jealous ever since. A few days… Read More »Twitter takes Disney handle away from user

Court gives Pooh to Disney and ends lawsuit

In what is likely the final bars of the opera that has been the Slesinger’s families legal battle against the Walt Disney Company over the rights to the Winnie The Pooh characters, the courts have decided that Disney owns the rights, but still owes royalties… Read More »Court gives Pooh to Disney and ends lawsuit

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!

You go Mickey. When I’m your age, I want to look as young as you do today. These last 80 years have been quite transformative for you. You’ve gone from a sweet and unpretentious little rascal to a modern day role model for the young.… Read More »Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!