Disney sued by law firm Morgan & Morgan over Steamboat Willie ad
US PERSONAL injury law firm Morgan & Morgan sued Disney in Orlando, Florida, federal court on Wednesday, seeking a ruling that it can adapt Disney’s landmark animated short Steamboat Willie in a firm advertisement without violating the entertainment giant’s intellectual property rights.
Morgan & Morgan said in the complaint that it filed the lawsuit after Disney refused to confirm whether it would object to the ad.
Disney’s copyright on Steamboat Willie expired last year, but the company still owns trademarks related to its 1928 film, which featured the first public appearances of Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Spokespeople for Disney and the firm did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the complaint. Morgan & Morgan’s proposed ad features a scene in Steamboat Willie style with Minnie Mouse calling the firm after Mickey Mouse crashes the boat into her car. It includes a disclaimer that the video was not approved by or associated with Disney.
Orlando-based Morgan & Morgan, which bills itself as the largest US personal injury law firm, is known for its prodigious marketing. The firm accounted for more than 9% of all legal services advertising in the US and spent over $218 million on ads last year, according to a report from the nonprofit American Tort Reform Association.
Morgan & Morgan said it sent Disney a letter on July 15 seeking confirmation that Disney would not accuse it of infringing the company’s copyrights or trademarks with its Steamboat Willie ad. According to the complaint, Disney responded later that month that it “did not provide legal advice to third parties, and would not provide such advice in response to the Morgan Letter.”
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.
The firm asked the court to rule that its commercial would not violate Disney’s rights and block the company from suing the firm over it. — Reuters
