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Al Arabiya
16-07-2025
- Al Arabiya
Disney Sues Hong Kong Company It Says Is Selling Illegal Mickey Mouse Jewelry
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday sued a Hong Kong jewelry company it accuses of selling illegal Mickey Mouse jewelry. The international media and entertainment conglomerate filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles against the Red Earth Group, which sells jewelry online under the name Satéur. Disney says the rings, necklaces, and earrings in Satéur's Mickey 1928 Collection violate its trademark rights and that the Hong Kong company is deliberately trying to fool customers into thinking the pieces are official Disney merchandise. Satéur, the suit alleges, intends to present Mickey Mouse as its own brand identifier for its jewelry merchandise and seeks to trade on the recognizability of the Mickey Mouse trademarks and consumers' affinity for Disney and its iconic ambassador Mickey Mouse. A message seeking comment from representatives of the Red Earth Group was not immediately answered. The lawsuit is indicative of Disney's dogged efforts to protect its intellectual property from unauthorized appropriation. Although the earliest version of Mickey Mouse entered the public domain last year after Disney's copyright expired, the company still holds trademark rights to the character. Lawyers for Disney argue in the suit that Red Earth's online marketing efforts extensively trade on the Mickey Mouse trademarks and the Disney brand with language that includes describing the jewelry as great for Disney enthusiasts. Such tactics indicate Red Earth was intentionally trying to confuse consumers, the lawsuit says. The impression created, it says, suggests at a minimum a partnership or collaboration with Disney. The earliest depiction of Mickey Mouse, who first appeared publicly in the film short Steamboat Willie in 1928, are now in the US public domain. The widely publicized moment was considered a landmark in iconography going public. The lawsuit alleges that Red Earth and Satéur are trying to use that status as a ruse to suggest the jewelry is legal by dubbing it the Mickey 1928 Collection and saying it is being sold in tribute to the mouse's first appearance. The centerpiece of the collection, the suit says, is a piece of jewelry marketed as the Satéur Mickey 1928 Classique Ring, which has a Steamboat Willie charm sitting on the band holding a synthetic stone. But there is an essential difference between copyright – which protects works of art – and trademark – which protects a company's brand. Even if a character is in the public domain, it cannot be used on merchandise in a way that suggests it is from the company with the trademark, as Disney alleges Red Earth is doing. Disney remains committed to guarding against unlawful trademark infringement and protecting consumers from confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey Mouse and our other iconic characters, Disney said in a statement Wednesday. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against Red Earth selling the jewelry or trading on Disney's trademark in any other way, along with monetary damages to be determined later.
Arab News
16-07-2025
- Arab News
Pencak silat, Indonesia's ancient martial art, gains new footing in UAE
JAKARTA: Indonesia's traditional martial art that blends combat and artistic performance, pencak silat, has been gaining popularity in the UAE, which has played host to several international tournaments to promote the discipline worldwide. The traditions of pencak silat entered the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List in 2019. While its earliest origins can be traced back to the seventh century, pencak silat has evolved over the centuries, with the term widely used today often credited to Indonesia's West Java province and Sumatra island. The martial art is also popular in neighboring countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore, and has been included in the Southeast Asian Games since 1987 and at the 2018 Asian Games hosted by Indonesia. In the UAE, there has been a growing interest in pencak silat, with Abu Dhabi hosting the 20th World Pencak Silat Championship and the 5th Junior World Pencak Silat Championship simultaneously last December, marking the first time such tournaments took place in the Middle East. 'These two championships became the largest in pencak silat history, with 57 countries represented and over 1,100 athletes, officials, referees, and judges in attendance,' Muhammad Sadri, chief of the social and cultural affairs department at the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and a deputy chairman of the events' organizing committee, told Arab News. 'In the context of international relations, pencak silat serves as a powerful tool for soft diplomacy, fostering mutual understanding, cultural exchange, and friendship between nations.' In recent years, pencak silat gained global traction through rising Indonesian martial artists, such as Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian, who performed the tradition in famous film franchises, including 'The Raid' and 'John Wick.' While the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has been promoting pencak silat since 2000, its recent rise to international prominence has helped boost its popularity in the UAE. Following the global pencak silat tournaments last year, the discipline has since been recognized by the UAE Sports for All Federation. 'The response from both the UAE government and the public has been overwhelmingly positive. Pencak silat has attracted growing interest not only from the Indonesian diaspora, but also from Emiratis and expatriates of various nationalities who have begun participating in regular training sessions,' Sadri said, referring to weekly pencak silat classes held at the embassy. Indonesian authorities see pencak silat as 'one of the most unique and meaningful expressions' of Indonesia's heritage, and a 'living embodiment' of the country's core values of discipline, respect, humility, and strength in harmony. The UAE 'provides an ideal and strategic platform to introduce and celebrate this treasured Indonesian tradition with the world,' Sadri said. 'By promoting pencak silat in the UAE, the embassy is not only preserving a vital part of Indonesian heritage, but also inspiring youth, strengthening people-to-people connections, and opening up new avenues for collaboration in the fields of sport, education, and cultural diplomacy.' Beyond its sporting element, pencak silat also covers mental and spiritual aspects, as well as life philosophy, while its techniques range from unarmed skills to others incorporating the use of traditional weapons, such as machete, dagger, and trident. It also draws heavily from nature, with many styles taking inspiration from the movements of animals and natural elements, such as the silat harimau, or tiger style, from West Sumatra, which mimics the ferocity and agility of a tiger. In its inscription, UNESCO highlighted how the practice strengthens comradeship and maintains social order, while also providing entertainment in traditional ceremonies. 'Pencak silat is not merely about physical combat — it is about character-building, cultural identity, and human connection. It offers values that transcend borders: discipline, resilience, and harmony,' Sadri said. He said the discipline 'is not only a reflection of Indonesia's past, but also a contribution to the future — as a universal platform for peace, empowerment, and international cooperation.'
Al Arabiya
03-07-2025
- Al Arabiya
Manga doomsday prediction scares off tourists to Japan
Viral rumors of impending disaster stemming from a comic book prediction have taken the sheen off Japan's tourism boom, with some airlines cancelling flights from Hong Kong where passengers numbers have plunged. Japan has seen record numbers of visitors this year, with April setting an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million travelers. That dipped in May, however, with arrivals from Hong Kong - the superstitious Chinese-controlled city where the rumors have circulated widely - down 11 percent year-on-year, according to the latest data. Steve Huen of Hong Kong-based travel agency EGL Tours blamed a flurry of social media predictions tied to a manga that depicts a dream of a massive earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan and neighboring countries in July 2025. 'The rumors have had a significant impact,' said Huen, adding that his firm had seen its Japan-related business halve. Discounts and the introduction of earthquake insurance had 'prevented Japan-bound travel from dropping to zero,' he added. Hong Kong resident Branden Choi, 28, said he was a frequent traveler to Japan but was hesitant to visit the country during July and August due to the manga prediction. 'If possible, I might delay my trip and go after September', he said. Ryo Tatsuki, the artist behind the manga titled 'The Future I Saw', first published in 1999 and then re-released in 2021, has tried to dampen the speculation, saying in a statement issued by her publisher that she was 'not a prophet.' The first edition of the manga warned of a major natural disaster in March 2011. That was the month and year when a massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster struck Japan's northeastern coast killing thousands. Some have interpreted the latest edition as predicting a catastrophic event would occur specifically on July 5, 2025, although Tatsuki has denied this. Situated within the Pacific Ocean's 'Ring of Fire,' Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In recent days there have been more than 900 earthquakes, most of them small tremors, on islands off the southern tip of Kyushu. But Robert Geller, a professor at the University of Tokyo who has studied seismology since 1971, said even scientifically-based earthquake prediction was 'impossible.' 'None of the predictions I've experienced in my scientific career have come close at all,' he said. Nevertheless, low-cost carrier Greater Bay Airlines became the latest Hong Kong airline on Wednesday to cancel flights to Japan due to low demand, saying it would indefinitely suspend its service to Tokushima in western Japan from September. Serena Peng, 30, a visitor to Tokyo from Seattle, had initially tried to talk her husband out of visiting Japan after seeing the social media speculation. 'I'm not super worried right now, but I was before,' she said, speaking outside Tokyo's bustling Senso-ji temple.
