DisneyFan 2000
Well-Known Member
^ Then what? That's bad publicity to pay it to sleep! It shows Disney has something to hide (when they don;t)
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A Flap Over 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'
- Thread starter orlpassholder
- Start date
peter11435
Well-Known Member
That sounds like a great idea. However that just opens the door for hundreds of more suits. If you establish the precedent for giving money simply based on accusations, these lawsuits will start coming in left and right.TURKEY said:
GoofyFan1
Active Member
Kopp8699 said:::: cough cough bull cough cough :::
Sorry.... got a bit of a coldbut seriously.... It's sad how greedy people can get. People can sue for just about anything and win. Lets all go to McDonald's and have breakfast tomorrow... Hot coffee anyone? :brick: :lookaroun
Whines. "They made me over eat and now I'm overweight. :hurl: :brick:
ThreeCircles
Member
How interesting!
The last time I was at Animal Kingdom and rode the safari it seemed that the brief secton of this song was missing. I wonder if it was my imagination or if it is tied to this "lawsuit?"
The last time I was at Animal Kingdom and rode the safari it seemed that the brief secton of this song was missing. I wonder if it was my imagination or if it is tied to this "lawsuit?"
tigger248
Well-Known Member
GoofyFan1 said:
I agree. If Disney is getting sued, then all the other people who have sang the song should be too. While we're at it let's sue people who karoke along to it. They're singing it in public too.
In my opinion, if this was going to be an issue, it should have been one in 1994 when The Lion King was first made. Why bring it up now after 10 years? Sounds greedy to me.
Greetings all from the Geek Labs
here is Disneys response
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - U.S. entertainment giant Walt Disney Co said on Tuesday it was not liable in a dispute with South African lawyers over the copyright to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" -- one of Africa's most famous tunes.
Lawyers for the family of the song's original composer, Zulu migrant worker Solomon Linda, are suing Walt Disney in South Africa for infringement of copyright to the song, which has earned an estimated $15 million since it was written in 1939.
The song, originally called "Mbube," has been recorded by at least 150 artists around the world and features in Disney's "Lion King" on film and on the stage.
A statement from the U.S. company received by Reuters in Johannesburg on Tuesday said Walt Disney had obtained the right to use the song properly from Abilene Music, the New York firm which administers its copyright in the United States.
"As a company built on the strength of its creative content, the Walt Disney Company takes all matters of copyright ownership seriously," it said.
"To the extent that a copyright ownership issue exists in this case, it should be taken up with Abilene Music publishers, from which the rights to 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' were properly licensed."
South African lawyer Owen Dean told Reuters that although the response from Walt Disney was factually correct, the U.S. firm was still liable for copyright infringement under British laws in force in the country when the song was recorded in 1939.
Lawyers acting for Linda's family -- who live in poverty in the Johannesburg township of Soweto -- say that under laws in force in South Africa at the time, rights to the song should have reverted to Linda's hiers 25 years after his death in 1962.
Dean said the family was claiming ten million rand ($1.6 million) in damages from Disney.
They say they are suing Walt Disney rather than Abilene Music as Abilene has no assets in the country.
South Africa's High Court in Pretoria has attached use of Disney's trademarks in South Africa -- including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck -- to the case.
That means proceeds from use of those trademarks will revert to the plaintiffs if Walt Disney loses the case.
here is Disneys response
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - U.S. entertainment giant Walt Disney Co said on Tuesday it was not liable in a dispute with South African lawyers over the copyright to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" -- one of Africa's most famous tunes.
Lawyers for the family of the song's original composer, Zulu migrant worker Solomon Linda, are suing Walt Disney in South Africa for infringement of copyright to the song, which has earned an estimated $15 million since it was written in 1939.
The song, originally called "Mbube," has been recorded by at least 150 artists around the world and features in Disney's "Lion King" on film and on the stage.
A statement from the U.S. company received by Reuters in Johannesburg on Tuesday said Walt Disney had obtained the right to use the song properly from Abilene Music, the New York firm which administers its copyright in the United States.
"As a company built on the strength of its creative content, the Walt Disney Company takes all matters of copyright ownership seriously," it said.
"To the extent that a copyright ownership issue exists in this case, it should be taken up with Abilene Music publishers, from which the rights to 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' were properly licensed."
South African lawyer Owen Dean told Reuters that although the response from Walt Disney was factually correct, the U.S. firm was still liable for copyright infringement under British laws in force in the country when the song was recorded in 1939.
Lawyers acting for Linda's family -- who live in poverty in the Johannesburg township of Soweto -- say that under laws in force in South Africa at the time, rights to the song should have reverted to Linda's hiers 25 years after his death in 1962.
Dean said the family was claiming ten million rand ($1.6 million) in damages from Disney.
They say they are suing Walt Disney rather than Abilene Music as Abilene has no assets in the country.
South Africa's High Court in Pretoria has attached use of Disney's trademarks in South Africa -- including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck -- to the case.
That means proceeds from use of those trademarks will revert to the plaintiffs if Walt Disney loses the case.
barnum42
New Member
I wondered why they were trying to sue Disney rather than the publisher. So it appears to come down to antoher greedy lawyer going for the high profile target. They know there will be no publicity suing Abilene, but mention Disney and it's bigger news.
Even if they can twist it to the law that copyright should have reverted to the family, I'm sure that Abilene will be seen to be a fault for not doing this. Disney paid the approriate people to use the song.
I have no doubt that Linda's family deserve a fair share of the song's proceeds, but it should come out of the publisher not one of many companies who have paid the publisher the dues to use the song.
Even if they can twist it to the law that copyright should have reverted to the family, I'm sure that Abilene will be seen to be a fault for not doing this. Disney paid the approriate people to use the song.
I have no doubt that Linda's family deserve a fair share of the song's proceeds, but it should come out of the publisher not one of many companies who have paid the publisher the dues to use the song.