Disney seeks to block allegedly fake Mickey Mouse merchandise
The collection in question — the "Mickey 1928 Collection" — features rings, necklaces, and earrings that Disney claims are designed to mislead consumers into thinking they are official Disney merchandise.
Disney argues that Red Earth is deliberately leveraging Mickey Mouse's iconic status and misleadingly using terms like "great for Disney enthusiasts" to trade on consumer recognition of Disney's brand.
While the earliest version of Mickey Mouse from the 1928 short Steamboat Willie is now in the U.S. public domain, Disney retains trademark protection, which prevents unauthorized commercial use that implies brand association.
The lawsuit highlights a key legal distinction: copyright expiration does not eliminate trademark protection. Disney asserts that Red Earth's use of the name "Mickey 1928" and similar imagery is a "ruse" to exploit public domain confusion while infringing on Disney's trademarks.
The centerpiece of the disputed collection is a "Mickey 1928 Classique Ring" featuring a Steamboat Willie charm. Disney is seeking a court injunction to halt sales of the jewelry and monetary damages.
Disney said in a statement: "We remain committed to protecting our trademark rights and preventing consumer confusion caused by unauthorized use of Mickey Mouse and our other iconic characters."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
9 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Fantastic Four: First Steps' scores Marvel's first $100 million box office opening of 2025
This image released by Disney shows Pedro Pascal in a scene from "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." (Marvel/Disney via AP) LOS ANGELES — Marvel's first family has finally found box office gold. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' the first film about the superheroes made under the guidance of Kevin Feige and the Walt Disney Co., earned $118 million in its first weekend in 4,125 North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. That makes it the fourth biggest opening of the year, behind 'A Minecraft Movie,' 'Lilo & Stitch' and 'Superman,' and the biggest Marvel opening since 'Deadpool & Wolverine' grossed $211 million out of the gate last summer. Internationally, 'Fantastic Four' made $100 million from 52 territories, adding up to a $218 million worldwide debut. The numbers were within the range the studio was expecting. The film arrived in the wake of another big superhero reboot, James Gunn's 'Superman,' which opened three weekends ago and has already crossed $500 million globally. That film, from the other main player in comic book films, DC Studios, took second place with $24.9 million domestically. 'First Steps' is the latest attempt at bringing the superhuman family to the big screen, following lackluster performances for other versions. The film, based on the original Marvel comics, is set during the 1960s in a retro-futuristic world led by the Fantastic Four, a family of astronauts-turned-superhuman from exposure to cosmic rays during a space mission. The family is made up of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), who can stretch his body to incredible lengths; Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), who can render herself invisible; Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who transforms into a fiery human torch; and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who possesses tremendous superhuman strength with his stone-like flesh. The movie takes place four years after the family gained powers, during which Reed's inventions have transformed technology, and Sue's diplomacy has led to global peace. Both audiences and critics responded positively to the film, which currently has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and promising exit poll responses from opening weekend ticket buyers. An estimated 46 per cent of audiences chose to see it on premium screens, including IMAX and other large formats. The once towering Marvel is working to rebuild audience enthusiasm for its films and characters. Its two previous offerings this year did not reach the cosmic box office heights of 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' which made over $1.3 billion, or those of the 'Avengers'-era. But critically, the films have been on an upswing since the poorly reviewed 'Captain America: Brave New World,' which ultimately grossed $415 million worldwide. 'Thunderbolts,' which jumpstarted the summer movie season, was better received critically but financially is capping out at just over $382 million globally. Like Deadpool and Wolverine, the Fantastic Four characters had been under the banner of 20th Century Fox for years. The studio produced two critically loathed, but decently profitable attempts in the mid-2000s with future Captain America Chris Evans as the Human Torch. In 2015, it tried again (unsuccessfully) with Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller. They got another chance after Disney's $71 billion acquisition of Fox's entertainment assets in 2019. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' $118 million. 2. 'Superman,' $24.9 million. 3. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' $13 million. 4. 'F1: The Movie,' $6.2 million. 5. 'Smurfs,' $5.4 million. 6. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' $5.1 million. 7. 'How to Train Your Dragon,' $2.8 million. 8. 'Eddington,' $1.7 million. 9. 'Saiyaara,' $1.3 million. 10. 'Oh, Hi!,' $1.1 million. Lindsey Bahr And Itzel Luna, The Associated Press
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ryan Gosling and faceless alien named Rocky wow crowd at ‘Project Hail Mary' Comic-Con panel
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Comic-Con got a lot of Ryan and a little bit of Rocky at a panel on 'Project: Hail Mary,' the forthcoming film that's equal parts space adventure, real-science deep-dive, broad comedy and relationship drama. 'What's up Hall H!' a giddy Ryan Gosling in a trucker hat and flannel shirt shouted to the crowd of more than 6,000 at Comic-Con's biggest venue. Amazon MGM Studios showed the opening five minutes and several other slightly unfinished scenes from the first third of the film, seven months before its planned release. (Spoilers for that section follow). It included an extended glimpse at Rocky, the stone-shaped and faceless alien who becomes Gosling's mission partner as they attempt to save the universe from ecological disaster. Phil Lord, who codirected the film with Chris Miller, said the relationship between the two beings stuck alone together in space represents the central theme. 'If the universe depended on it,' Miller said, 'can adult men make friends?' Rocky is already a cult favorite for readers of Andy Weir's novel, and is sure to be a future staple of Comic-Con cosplay. Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a middle school teacher and underachiever drafted for the mission in the film based on the novel by Weir, whose first novel became the 2015 Matt Damon movie 'The Martian.' Screenwriter Drew Goddard adapted both. Gosling was asked what he connected to in the reluctant character. 'I connect to his reluctance. I'm reluctant to answer this question,' Gosling said. 'Aside from he fact that he has a doctorate in molecular biology he's quite an ordinary person. He reacts to a lot of things that I might or a lot of us might. He's terrified — appropriately — of the task at hand.' Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. The opening five minutes show a sloppy, long-bearded, amnesiac Gosling as he awakes in a pod. He climbs out, confused. He finds other people in pods who are clearly dead. Then he finds a window and learns he's in space. He gives a mealymouthed scream of 'Where am ?!' The movie represents the return to directing, and return to space, of Lord and Miller for the first time since they were fired and replaced by Ron Howard by Disney and Lucasfilm from 2018's 'Solo.' Like, 'The Martian,' the movie goes heavy on the science — Weir, also a producer, said he spent hours going over every equation one very white board But it takes the messy, kitchen-sink, everything-is-comedy approach Lord and Miller used in films like 'The Lego Movie.' 'This movie is not a Mac, it's a PC,' Lord said. 'It can be beautiful, it just can't be pretty.'
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Calgary Herald
The man who keeps the Lion King's performers looking wild
Michael Reilly is the puppet master for the touring production of Disney's The Lion King. Photo by Supplied Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. For almost 20 years, Michael Reilly has been helping The Lion King roar as it tours North America. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors As the touring production's puppet master, Reilly is in charge of the 230 puppets, masks and headdresses used in the show. Reilly worked for four years on the original Toronto production of The Lion King that opened in 1999. 'When the Toronto production closed, they asked me to be part of the touring company, but I had already been hired for the Toronto production of The Lord of the Rings,' says Reilly, who hails from Toronto. 'They kept asking me to join them, but I was busy with other shows until 2016. As soon as I was free I joined this tour,' says Reilly. Two of The Lion King's 17 travelling trucks carry the show's puppets and masks. Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'The largest puppet is the elephant, which comes down the aisle of the theatre in the opening number. It weighs 120 pounds and takes four people to operate. The smallest puppet is the mouse on the end of Scar's cane. The tallest puppets are the giraffes. We don't hire stilt walkers to operate them. We hire dancers, and it is my job to teach them to walk on the stilts. They have to climb six-foot ladders to get into those costumes.' Reilly says the masks the actors wear 'are extremely lightweight. They have to be, because the actors do eight shows a week. If they were heavy, it would be a great strain on their necks and heads. The heaviest masks weigh less than a pound.' 'These masks and headdresses are very durable, so the biggest repairs usually consist of replacing the strings that are used to secure them to the actors,' Reilly says. 'Scar's mask is electronic, so there is so much more that can go wrong. We are constantly having to tinker with the motor. There are some back-up masks and puppets, but just a few, so it is my team's responsibility to do repairs on the fly. We use everything you would at home just to get them back on stage. That means duct tape and crazy glue. 'They are constantly coming up with new ways to improve the puppets and masks so it keeps my job interesting.' The Lion King opened on Broadway in 1997. This touring company was created in 2002, and has played more than 10,000 performances in 90 cities, often more than once, years apart, and has been seen by more than 25 million people, making it the longest-running Broadway tour. When Reilly was 16 years old, he was hired as a costume assistant on the original Toronto production of CATS. Over the years, he has taken training in carpentry, electronics and metal work.
