One of our awesome, observant readers sent the following message:
Hi, I have been searching on ebay UK for Mickey Mouse merchandise and came across this ‘cd clock’ in a sellers ‘Animated clocks’ section, which I like, but feel it is possibly not official merchandise ? Please can you confirm or not, if it is, I shall purchase one.
Item no : 260651807916
Seller id : *o*krazydaisy*o*
Seller shop : Krazy Daisy
The Disney Copyright Violations crack research team (me) intensely investigated this item (we spent a couple minutes looking at UK eBay and a couple pages on the Krazy Daisy web site), and saw no evidence that this was an official Disney product. Rather, it appears to us to be a depressing abuse of our beloved Mickey Mouse, a creature so kind, caring, and loving that he would never do anything to harm even a single hair on another living being (except for in some of his early black-and-white work, but he was young then and needed the money).
So what is the tragedy here? That Mickey’s chest has been perforated by clockwork? That he is depicted without his beloved “©Disney” text? Or that the green kind of makes us think of seasickness? That is not for us to say.
What is for us to say is that if we’re totally wrong and this is indeed official Disney merchandise, we’re sorry. (It’s still ugly, though.)
Not A. Lawyer Other clock, Mickey Mouse
Here’s another one found by our fabulous readers, a cake shop in some far-off foreign land that specializes in creating photorealistic reproductions of licensed characters. It looks gorgeous, but right off you know there’s something wrong. Sure Tigger’s color and general shape and proportions are approximately correct, but where is the “© Disney” that always lovingly adorns this precious symbol of youth? Nowhere to be found, that’s where!
Adding to the insult, I hate to think of the horrible use to which this (probably delicious) product will be put. Can you just imagine the party when this creation is unboxed? There would be a gaggle of children cheering at the appearance of their beloved friend from the Hundred Acre Woods, but their cheers would turn to horrified screams when it was revealed that Tigger was there not to frolic and play, but to be grotesquely carved into chunks and served upon paper plates with ice cream and a side of callous disregard for all that is decent!
Not A. Lawyer Other Tigger
NOOOOOOH! Please, please, tell me that the other side of the car doesn’t have Piglet with a bazooka.
(Found on the You Drive What? blog)
Not A. Lawyer Other Pooh
An anonymous DCV visitor writes: “Superior Concierge in Kissimmee has purchased a Mickey costume and is appearing at local resorts such as Emerald Island and Terra Verde as seen in the newsletter attached.”
Let’s take a look at a photo and some text from the newsletter to see what’s going on here…
That certainly looks like Mickey Mouse to us, and we suppose that it could be a violation if Disney’s beloved mascot is being used to promote this particular enterprise, but we don’t want to jump to any conclusions. Who knows — perhaps Mickey is a member of the homeowner’s association and just wanted to spend some time with friends? Or he might have been in the area and heard that there was a free breakfast to be had? Or maybe Disney rents Mickey out for functions like this when there are slow days in the park? Maybe the mouse is just moonlighting to earn some extra cash so he can buy a ring and finally ask Minnie to marry him?
Then again, the newsletter says that other prominent Florida attractions (Pirates Adventure Dinner Show, Boggy Creek Airboat Rides, Gatorland, and others) were in attendance to promote their businesses, so maybe Disney just wanted to make sure they were numbered among their peers?
So, without additional information and thousands of dollars in legal fees we can’t definitively call this a violation. Of course, if it is, we certainly hope that those responsible will suffer the agonies of eternal hellfire for leaving the false impression that our beloved Mickey himself supports their business.
Not A. Lawyer Other Mickey Mouse
This photo was posted on the Picture is Unrelated blog. I think it’s supposed to be Mickey Mouse from the Star Trek mirror universe, but since Disney’s copyrights have jurisdiction in all possible worlds, this is a horrifying violation, no matter what universe it is in!
Not A. Lawyer Other Mickey Mouse
Disney’s Club Penguin is a wonderful, wholesome place for children of all ages to work through those fantasies of living the penguin life that we all have. How sad is it that Michael here has decided to celebrate his birthday by making candy wrappers that not only violate this most innocent of copyrights — but also crush the height out of dozens of penguins and puffles at the same time!!!
Can this horrible distortion of all that is honorable amongst penguins be allowed to stand? Or should Michael be thrown in prison until he is old enough to be legally, I don’t know, electrocuted or something? It’s not my place to say. Follow your conscience, Michael!
From eBay
Not A. Lawyer Other Club Penguin
On the streets of a small town somewhere in today’s America, two Captain Jack Sparrows (at least one of them an impostor) meet with Spider-Man. It’s inaccurate, it ruins continuity, it’s highly unlikely, and it’s in full view of an innocent cab driver. The shame!
Not A. Lawyer Other Captain Jack Sparrow, Spider-Man
I call shenanigans. If that were the real Sully, the kid would be terrified.
Not A. Lawyer Other Sulley
I can’t stand it when people pretend to be Disney characters without official company permission. Just look at this:
Who does this guy think he’s fooling? He’s supposed to either be a character of High School Musical (even though he’s too young) or someone from Disney World’s “Hall of Presidents” (even though, despite the hat, his clothing is completely unlike anything worn by this country’s founding fathers). Even worse, he’s posing for a photograph with a friendly pirate (whose face I’ve blurred to protect his anonymity) who’s probably in town to see the sights and thinks that he’s having his picture taken with an actual Disney celebrity!
The shame of it all! Where are this child’s parents? Out picking pockets in the crowd?? If you happen to see him inserting himself into Disney’s copyright space, be sure to contact Child Protective Services immediately!!!
Not A. Lawyer Other Hall of Presidents, High School Musical
Look at what I found at a fair in Los Angeles — Disney copyright violating finger puppets! There’s Chicken Little, Ms. Incredible, Shrek, and a cow — all blatantly Disney characters! Spider-Man will very soon be added to Disney’s list, and the last one in black — whomever he is, we’re sure intellectual property rights to him will soon be owned by Disney as well! I pinned them into this collector’s box to prevent their escaping into innocent hands.
Although I was unable to pin down the author of this travesty, I did find the following image on a Web site (although I can’t seem to figure out which one — its name escapes me. If there was only some way to tell from the image!)
I definitely see Mickey, Minnie, Pooh, and many of their barnyard friends in there. Oh, the shame of it all! And intended to be used on some unknowing child’s finger!!!
Not A. Lawyer Other Chicken Little, cow, finger puppets, Mickey, Minnie, Ms. Incredible, Shrek, Spider-Man
