Man Sues Disney For $50 Million For The Copyright To Mickey Mouse

[matcom]

<snip>

CLEARWATER - Walt Disney sailed into fame and fortune with Steamboat Willie featuring Mickey Mouse.

Clearwater resident Steven Stein thinks he has Disney's original drawing of the famous character.

"Nobody else would have done anything this big of this character in the 1920's except Walt Disney," Stein claimed.

Stein says he paid a New York City thrift store $3 for the drawing in 1984, and he says he's spent many years and many dollars authenticating the artwork.

"I've had the ink test-dated. I've had the paper test-dated. The ink tests to the mid 1920's," he said.

That date would be after Disney created a character called Oswald the Rabbit, lost the rights to that creature, and came up with another one.

If the drawing Stein has does turn out to be Disney's first rendition of the Mickey character, his name was not yet Mickey; it was Mortimer. Disney's wife thought Mortimer Mouse was far too serious a name.

<snip>

Now Stein is taking Disney to court.

"I'm suing them for $50-million, the copyright on Mickey Mouse, and the right to tell the Walt Disney story," said Stein.

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=2333802&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

[mikeytherat]

1. Ah, a great "Simpsons" episode - The Day the Violence Died

http://www.snpp.com/episodes/3F16.html

Bart wants justice done after learning that the animator (voice of Kirk Douglas) who created Itchy was ripped off. The bumbling Lionel Hutz takes the case. Suzanne Somers has a cameo.

mikey_the_rat

[NC_Nurse]

5. That was my first thought.

Right out of the Simpsons! :D

[NashVegas]

2. WTF?

How does owning an original Mickey drawing, that was purchased 2-15th hand, give this guy a copyright?

Or is this lawsuit simply a way of forcing Disney to authenticate it so he can sell it for $$$?

[Robb]

3. I expect the latter

I can't imagine any real copyright being transfered at a thrift store. :shrug:

[Chiyo-chichi]

4. But if he has no case...

the suit will get thrown out and he won't prove anything.

Wouldn't Disney work with him to authenticate? I'd think they'd be interested in acquiring the original drawing of Michey Mouse.

Or he could go on Antiques Roadshow.