Disney wins Pooh ruling
judge dismissed 3 claims brought by Slesinger family
A federal court judge tossed out three claims brought against the Walt Disney Company by the Slesinger family, who own the copyright for Winnie the Pooh.
(Source: www.latimes.com)
You win some. You lose some.
A little more than a month after Disney lost a lawsuit, trying to terminate the Slesinger family's ownership of the lucrative Winnie the Pooh catalogue, federal court judge Florence-Marie Cooper threw out 3 claims against the Mouse House by the Slesingers. Cooper set aside nine other claims against Disney, saying they should be resolved after the appeal of a separate case, which Disney had won.
"We're pleased with the court's decision," said Disney attorney Daniel Petrocelli, who has represented Disney since 1991 on this case.
Patricia Slesinger was also upbeat about the decision, saying, "The ruling allows our case to proceed."
Steven Slesinger had acquired the rights to A.A. Milne's bear in 1930. In 1961, he transferred the rights to Disney in exchange for regular royalty payments. Disney would receive 98% of the worldwide gross, while Slesinger and his heirs would get 2%.
In 1991, the Slesingers filed suit against the Mouse House, claiming breach of contract and fraud. The family claimed Disney had cheated them out of hundreds of millions in profit from the lucrative franchise.
A state court judge threw out that initial case in 2004, after discovering that the Slesingers had stolen confidential files from Disney's trash and then lied and altered court papers to cover up the theft.
