Morgan and Morgan Sues Disney to Use "Steamboat Willy" in Their Commercials
reuters.comSeems like a PR stunt to me after reading this and clicking the link to view the ad:
https://docsend.com/view/q9x3bdin5vy9cst8
Even with the voiceover, it sure "feels" to me as a consumer like Minnie is endorsing calling #LAW ... which goes beyond fair use, in my estimation.
Fair use? Steamboat Willie is public domain.
But Minnie is not, and the way the ad is used (see link to video) goes beyond simply using the ad.
If it was clearly legal and clear-cut, why would a law firm be suing for clarification?
A version of Minnie is in Steamboat Willy...?
Correct. I don't believe she had a cellphone in Steamboat Willy where she called the law firm being advertised here, hence the legal question.
Can I use "Steamboat Willy" to have Mickey/Minnie from that era act as my spokesperson? I doubt it.
If these lawyers felt they had obvious legal rights here, do you think they'd be asking for clarification?
It's public domain.
You seem to be the only person in this conversation that doesn't see the question - the lawyers suing certainly see the legal question, which you keep ignoring.
Perhaps it is worth asking yourself why something seems to clear to you but is going before a judge as part of a legal question. Perhaps you have a partial understanding of the law? Perhaps you didn't click the link to view the video in question?
I'm not sure if your 3 word response is intended to show your interest in the conversation or your current level of knowledge on the subject -- either way, a little introspection on why smart people with law degrees see a question but you don't might be worthwhile before continuing.
I think Morgan and Morgan's concern is likely to be Disney's history of litigiousness. Why wait til after the ad airs to get a judgment?
We don't have to conjecture about that, the linked article clearly states "The firm said it had filed the lawsuit based on Disney's 'history of aggressive enforcement of intellectual property rights,' including a trademark lawsuit the media giant filed against another company on July 16 over jewelry depicting 'Steamboat Willie' characters"