WLW recently asked John Rizvi to come on the air in Cincinnati, OH to discuss the recent ads for the Winnie the Pooh Kills Everybody movie. John, a patent attorney and professor, was able to explain how this was possible due to the copyright expiration of AA Milne’s beloved Winnie the Pooh stories published in 1926.
He explained that once a copyright expires, anyone can do anything with the characters and that the estate is helpless in protecting them. He also discussed how Disney has taken Winnie the Pooh and added their own features such as the classic red t-shirt and changing the spelling of honey, but the director of this film was careful to only use the Winnie the Poo aspects that were in the original expired copyright.
John also discussed how trademarks can be renewed and don’t necessarily expire, unlike copyrights which have a life of the author plus 75 years or 95 years total. He predicted that Disney has lobbied for an extension of copyright protection beyond 95 years, but it is unlikely to happen.
This interview was an eye-opening discussion on the power of copyright law and its implications for iconic characters like Winnie the Pooh.
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