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Disney Trades Person for Intellectual Property

Posted by Zonk on from the i-know-some-people-i'd-like-to-trade dept.

Dotnaught writes "Walt Disney Company's ABC has traded sportscaster Al Michaels to General Electric Co.'s NBC for cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. NBC acquired the rights to the cartoon through its purchase of Universal Studios, which itself gained ownership of the animated rabbit through a contract that Walt Disney signed early in his career. Having to sign Oswald away supposedly prompted Disney to create Mickey Mouse, a character he'd own outright. The company that bears Disney's name fought tooth and nail to retain ownership of Mickey Mouse when the cartoon character's copyright was about to expire."

2 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. New Meaning to Corporate Slavery by db32 · · Score: -1, Troll

    Kinda reminds you of slavery doesn't it? People being trade for arbitrary ammounts of money or things of value? Said people going to work. Now I'm sure mr man here won't be allowed to quit anytime in the near future since there must be a 'contract' in place to keep him from leaving and them losing their 'money' in the trade.

    --
    The only change I can believe in is what I find in my couch cushions.
  2. Re:So an IP contract led to Mickey by westlake · · Score: 0, Troll
    It makes you wonder if copyrights were ever allowed to expire again, what other new and wonderful creations might be created, doesn't it??

    It makes you wonder who would get off their fat ass to create something new, if they had seventy-five years of Disney to rip off first.