| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 313.1 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Battles Disney Over Use Of MGM Name | LJOHUB::GOLDBERG | Len, Corp. Business Practices Group | Mon Jun 29 1992 12:40 | 31 |
| Copyright � Dow Jones & Co. 1992
Source: Wall Street Journal
Headline: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Battles Disney Over Use Of MGM Name
Time: Jun 26 1992 0919
Story:
In a trial that starts Monday, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. will try to convince
a state court judge that Walt Disney Co. breached a contract by using MGM's
name not just for its Disney-MGM Studios theme park in Florida, but for a
separate "film production" component of the park as well. MGM, which is owned
by Credit Lyonnais S.A., is seeking to take its name away from Disney
entirely, plus $100 million in damages.
Disney retorts that the film production that goes on in Florida "is all
geared to the guest experience -- it's part of the tour," says Sanford M.
Litvack, Disney's general counsel. Therefore Disney is hewing to its
contractual right to use the name MGM in theme parks.
Disney, which has filed a cross-complaint, says MGM's woes are of its own
making. MGM, Disney will argue, is simply trying to wiggle out of the deal it
signed in 1985 when it licensed the use of the name, a contract that can be
charitably be described as a lion getting mugged by a mouse.
MGM lawyers expect to call Disney Chairman Michael Eisner to testify. He's
named as a co-defendant, and MGM could hope the unpleasant specter of
appearing in court will push Disney to a settlement. But Litvack says a
settlement is unlikely and the company expects to go to trial. "We settle a
lot of cases because it's not worth the fight, but in this case we're
absolutely sure we're right. We're not about to become suckers," he says.
MGM will claim that Disney markets its production facilities to producers,
not the tourist public. It will introduce such examples as a full-page ad
Disney bought last year in the trade newspaper Variety, with Disney-MGM Studio
congratulating the filmmakers of an Emmy-Award-nominated miniseries, "Separate
But Equal," saying, "We are proud to have participated."
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| 313.2 | Fantasyland still squarely on Disney map | LJOHUB::GOLDBERG | Len, Corp. Business Practices Group | Fri Jul 10 1992 15:40 | 44 |
| From: [email protected] (snopes)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Fantasyland still squarely on Disney map
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 8 Jul 92 15:19:41 GMT
Organization: Salivation Army
Fantasyland still squarely on Disney map
In a win for the Walt Disney Co., the world's largest mall has been ordered
by a Canadian judge to stop using the name Fantasyland in the operation of
its theme park.
"We're very pleased with the decision," Disney senior vp Erwin Okun said
last week.
Lawyers for Triple Five Corp., the mall's owner, argued that Disney never
proved people confused the Canadian park with Disney, adding that it didn't
have a Canadian trademark on the name.
"Our reaction is one of utter disappointment and shock," Selma Linzer,
general manager of the West Edmonton Mall, said of the decision by Justice
John Dea in Edmonton (Alberta) Court.
The case dates back to 1983 when Disney lawyers began sending letters of
protest to Triple Five over the Canadian Fantasyland, which is an indoor
theme park located within the mall.
The decision was handed down Tuesday [June 30] in Edmonton Court but
disclosed by Disney late last week. It means the mall faces a
multi-million-dollar bill to wipe Fantasyland off its billboards, brochures,
signs, and letterheads.
+--------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| | |
| David P. Mikkelson | Just when my ant farm started showing a |
| Digital Equipment Corporation | profit, an ant bank foreclosed on it. |
| Culver City, CA USA | |
| | |
+--------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
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| 313.3 | The Simpsons crack at Disney!! | STRATA::ROBROSE | | Mon Oct 26 1992 12:32 | 19 |
|
There was a not so subtle dig at Disneys now famous copyright
lawyers on a recent episode of the "Simpsons". It seems that the
local grade school carinval was using the phrase
"The Happiest place on earth"
The scene had three Disney Geek lawyers explaining the copyright
violation to the school principal. The principal ends up dealing
with the Disney folks a bit on the rough side, it was funny but,
you had to see it!!!
-Rob
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| 313.4 | live by the sword.... | WONDER::REILLY | Sean Reilly CSG/AVS DTN:293-5983 | Thu Jun 16 1994 16:32 | 28 |
|
The following is abstracted from a Wall Street Journal article
reprinted on June 12, 1994, and seen posted on the internet.
The owner of the Modern Diner in Pawtucket, R.I., is suing
Disney, who has marketed a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt on which
the artwork includes a depiction of his diner (the first diner
in the National Register of Historic Places).
Walt Disney has always been very protective of
Mickey Mouse.
For years, the entertainment company sued or
threatened to sue even the smallest copyright
violaters--including three Florida day-care
centers that painted Disney charactters on their
walls. ``We pursue all known infringements of our
rights'' ...
The Modern has been featured in a number of books
on diners and road food. ... [T]he Modern's lawyer
... speculates the sweatshirt picture, which clearly
displays the Modern Diner sign atop the restaurant,
might have come from one of them.
During the week, the Modern serves ``classic diner
food''... Weekends, ... delicacies like baked eggs
Florentine and pear and almond pancakes with hot figs.
- Sean
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