Do the Americans really own Winnie the Pooh?

[kittynh]

since no one has answered this in another thread I'm starting one.

I've heard that we Americans are claiming ownership of Winnie the Pooh. Totally serious here, shouldn't he go back to Britian? Don't the British want him?

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Uh huh huh huh huh ... You said Pooh.... uh huh huh huh

[kittynh]

http://www.nypl.org/branch/kids/pooh/winnie.html


It's TRUE!

come on Brits, don't you have some sort of comando group that could go in and get them?

[Some Friggin Guy]

My view is different.

Since Winnie the Pooh was based on a bear from Winnipeg, Manitoba, then he should belong to Canada.

[mickky]

Originally posted by kittynh
http://www.nypl.org/branch/kids/pooh/winnie.html


It's TRUE!

come on Brits, don't you have some sort of comando group that could go in and get them?

Yes,
by Disney, no less.

And us Canadians, especially those in Winnipeg-where he got his name- are pissed...
A British soldier (Was it Milne? I don't recall...) visiting Winnipeg Zoo gave him the name.

[Tmy]

I heard Winnee the Poo is really owned by Egypt. So the answer is yes, he belongs in a London musem.

[a_unique_person]

I used to love Winnie the Pooh when I was a kid, and so did my kids.

The only problem is that since Disney appropriated the rights, they have produced a travesty of the original product.

When our local newspaper syndicated the Disney version for one of it's daily comic strips several years ago, there was uproar. The strip didn't last a month before it was pulled.

It is not so much an issue of sending him back to the Brits, because they made him, as sending in the troops to Disneyland and stopping them from creating the utter drivel that now dares to carry the same name.

[Jessica Blue]

Winnie the Pooh will always be quintessentially English to me....

Like Wind in the Willows and tea and scones. I just can't BEAR Tigga with an American accent!

[shanek]

Aren't creations after a certain amount of time supposed to enter the Public Domain where they can be used by, and belong to, everybody? Why does anyone still own any kind of copyright to them? I can understand why Disney might own the rights to their stylizations of the characters, but it's ridiculous that we're in a situation where the Pooh characters themselves are still copyrighted.

[Just ranting. Don't mind me.]

[peptoabysmal]

He's lame, you can have him back. What a gay cartoon - sheesh.

[evildave]

You're not familiar with the "Mickey Mouse Laws", are you?

Don't do a web search on it.

It will only piss you off.

[NoZed Avenger]

My daughter loves Pooh - especially Piglet. I wouldn't recommend you try to take hers without quite a few strapping SAS lads along. And tell them to bring bandages.

Having said that, I am fully behind any plan to repatriate the bear and friends to his birthplace. As soon as Canada and Britain work out which that is.

N/A

[Ove]

Pooh is an exercise in the english language and as such brilliant. The Disney series is typical "smoothing edges and forgetting the original idea" as they have done with allmost anything they have laid their hands on.

As a resident in the country of HC Andersen i must admit Disneys adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" caused quite a few raised eyebrows. A HAPPY END!!!!!!!!!:eek: :eek: , "The little Mermaid" is one of HC's most sad fairy tales and a favourite "bring the kleenexes" for readings.

BUT we have one claim to fame. Some years ago Disney bought the rights to "Curious George" a series of childrens books about a little Monkey and his friend "the man with the yellow hat". Shortly after they announced categorically that the caracter had to be renamed in Denmark. He had allways been called "Peter Pedal" because he rode a bicycle but now he should be calle "Georg Nysgerrig" (Curious George in Danish). Obviously it was important to keep the "George" for merchandizing.

It didn't work. "Peter Pedal" had for decades been one of the most loved series of childrens books and a radio host started a campaign against the renaming which created quite a public rising. Disney never formally capitulated but the books are still called "Peter Pedal" in the shops.:D :den:

[Ed]

Actually Pooh is owned by the Palistinians. The damn Jews (Hmmmmm .... Eisner, yup, Jew) built settlements on him.

The Palistinians have begun an Infidata and send in "Suicide scribblers" to schoolrooms and Barns and Nobel outlets to scribble on Milne books that the kids are reading.

The woman below is standing in the way of an armored delivery vehicle outside the B&N on 45th and Madison in NYC.http://www.radioproject.org/images/sobhia.jpg
All in all it is a grusome situation. Arafat was quoted on El Jazeera as saying "The rights of the Palistinian people will triumph and I will read these books the moment I learn how to read".

I can see no good coming of this.


(need to do that since some people are humor impaired)

[Giz]

If we ask for him back, you know we've lost our Marbles...

[Mike B.]

How old is Winnie the Pooh?

I mean the copywright ran out for another great English lit. character: Sherlock Holmes.

So nobody really owns him, and I know many Americans have written "further adventures" of Sherlock.

(Of course none are as good as the sacred cannon by Arthur Conan Doyle;) )

[BillyTK]

Pooh is nearly 80. As long as Pooh and company are happy in New York, I'm happy for them to stay there, but i think they should sue Disney.

[LW]

Originally posted by a_unique_person

The only problem is that since Disney appropriated the rights, they have produced a travesty of the original product.


You could have said that easier if you had simply used: "they disneyfied the story".

One necessary precondition for enjoying a Disney story is absolute ignorance of the original version.

[Cleon]

Originally posted by Ed

The Palistinians have begun an Infidata and send in "Suicide scribblers" to schoolrooms and Barns and Nobel outlets to scribble on Milne books that the kids are reading.


Infidata, eh? Sounds like a tech firm. (Insert dot-Bomb joke here.)

[Tmy]

In theory the US has copywrite/ public domain laws that are supposed to have time limits. Thing is these time limits keep getting extended thanx to Disney buying off the US Congress every few years.

[Ed]

Originally posted by Cleon


Infidata, eh? Sounds like a tech firm. (Insert dot-Bomb joke here.)

The only bomb was my joke, I'm afraid.

[arcticpenguin]

All your bears are belong to us.

[Tony]

What's wrong with Disney?

[Tmy]

Disney is the devil!!! THe devil. They want to control us all and turn us into happy little slaves!

[shanek]

Originally posted by evildave
You're not familiar with the "Mickey Mouse Laws", are you?

Don't do a web search on it.

It will only p*ss you off.

I am familiar with it, and yes, it really does p*ss me off.

[shanek]

Originally posted by Mike B.
How old is Winnie the Pooh?

I mean the copywright ran out for another great English lit. character: Sherlock Holmes.

Did it? I seem to remember Star Trek: The Next Generation getting in a lot of trouble by the Estate of Arthur Conan Doyle for using the characters.

[Nikk]

Did children ever really enjoy W T P much?

I always thought the stories appealed more to adults who wished to create a fantasy childhood. As childen's stories go they are rather dull. A little too winsome for my taste.

As for the Disney connection; the books exist, that's all there ever was. Buy them and read them if you want to. If you prefer the cartoons thats ok. I don't really understand what the problem is with Disney creating saccharine cartoons with the characters.

[ChrisH]

Originally posted by Nikk
Did children ever really enjoy W T P much?

I always thought the stories appealed more to adults who wished to create a fantasy childhood. As childen's stories go they are rather dull. A little too winsome for my taste.

In my, admittedly limited, experience; yes. Many years ago I had a step-daughter. She was an extremely intelligent child (no thanks to me!) and she adored the stories, and would discuss the characters for hours.

One of the strengths of the two books is that an adult can read to a child with both enjoying the experience, albeit on different levels. I think they are very funny - don't forget that A.A. Milne was editor of the most successful humorous magazine of the day.

[AmateurScientist]

The dispute over who owns Pooh is still ongoing. A brief history.

A.A. Milne published the first Pooh book in 1926. He sold the licenses to Pooh and the other characters in 1929 to his literary agent, Stephen Slesinger. Slesinger's widow sold them to Disney in 1961. The Slesinger estate, the Milne estate, and Disney renegotiated a new agreement regarding Pooh in 1983.

For the past 12 years there has been, and still is, a legal case pending in California brought by the Slesinger family against Disney for allegedly cheating the Slesingers out of some of the royalties due from sales of Pooh merchandise. The Milne family is also involved in the litigation. The case has recently been assigned to a new trial judge, and is set for a hearing on October 22, 2003.

I have read reports that Pooh is worth between $3-6 billion in annual revenue for Disney. He's one Lucrative Bear. He's That Kind of Bear.

A link to a recent news story about the case:

New trial judge assigned (http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2003/09/29/daily32.html)

Another article from a British newspaper, earlier this year:

Possible Loss to Disney Over Pooh (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2003/05/11/cnpooh11.xml)

AS

[Nikk]

Originally posted by ChrisH


In my, admittedly limited, experience; yes. Many years ago I had a step-daughter. She was an extremely intelligent child (no thanks to me!) and she adored the stories, and would discuss the characters for hours.

One of the strengths of the two books is that an adult can read to a child with both enjoying the experience, albeit on different levels. I think they are very funny - don't forget that A.A. Milne was editor of the most successful humorous magazine of the day.

I actually read them to my son but neither of us was too impressed. Clearly it's a matter of personal taste, but I haven't come across any children who were really enthralled by the stories.

[Mike B.]

Originally posted by shanek


Did it? I seem to remember Star Trek: The Next Generation getting in a lot of trouble by the Estate of Arthur Conan Doyle for using the characters.

Really?

Wow!!!

Conan Doyle died in 1930. I thought there was a 50 year period after that date for his heirs to have the rights, which would have run out in 1980.

I am not an expert on these laws, does anyone have a link for status of Sherlock Holmes? Do his heirs still own him?

[JAR]

I love Winnie the Pooh. I own and have read the "Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie the Pooh" by A.A. Milne and I used to watch "The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" cartoon.

In that cartoon there was a great Eor line, "That's okay if you don't remember my name, I must be pretty easy to forget."

[billydkid]

I'm sorry, but Winnie is a fictional character who doesn't really exist. I don't see how anyone could own him.