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Disney Copycat Characters
- Thread starter tathompson87
- Start date
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
Short answer - yes
Long answer - it happens all over the place. I am sure that Disney lawyers and brand protection teams are quite busy, so many such outfits survive for a while before Disney gets to them.
At least those costumes are not that bad. Some of the ones in Times Square are downright scary.
-dave
Long answer - it happens all over the place. I am sure that Disney lawyers and brand protection teams are quite busy, so many such outfits survive for a while before Disney gets to them.
At least those costumes are not that bad. Some of the ones in Times Square are downright scary.
-dave
brb1006
Well-Known Member
I'd never thought I'd say this, but the knockoff costumes are surprisingly much more closer to the official versions compared to the others I seen in the past. But the Mickey and Minnie will look pretty odd once the new Mickey and Minnie heads make it to the other Disney Parks across the globe not counting the shows.
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
Theres lots to keep those lawyers busy, not just in costuming issues. So many places that want to profit off of Disneys character recognition. Near us, there was a local child day care center I heard of that Disney had sent a notices to cease using Tigger & Winnie the Pooh in their name, advertisement and business activities.
myhappyplace
Crazy Cat Lady
I always wonder about those Princess Party places. I belong to a fashion/ clothing discussion facebook group and many times I will see someone post a picture of themselves dressed as Rapunzel or Anna, and always wonder if that's something Disney will go after.
EOD K9
Well-Known Member
If you look closely, they are in front of a back drop. Take a peek at the bottom left of the picture by Donald's foot. You can see where it is bunched up and also part of the PVC pipe support.
mimitchi33
Well-Known Member
These look so close to the original...until you look at Goofy and Daisy!
I think Disney has taken on theme parks for using similar characters, but not costume sellers. Heck, I've seen costumes using their properties on Etsy, including Inside Out ones of all the characters including Bing Bong (which actually looked cute!) and a Sofia the First one that didn't look like Sofia.
The only company that I think goes after costumes that I know of is The Lyons Group/HiT Entertainment, the company that owns Barney and Friends. If anyone is using a knock-off Barney costume for profit, they will go after them. Here's an article from the 90's about it.
raven
Well-Known Member
Look at them wrinkly legs on Donald.
champdisney
Well-Known Member
They'll get shut down eventually.
mikenatcity1
Well-Known Member
I was looking but couldn't find that! HA! at least do a better job of hiding the backdrop...
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
It really is. I always wondered if those entertainers have some sort of code about who will dress as what. I know The Naked Cowboy has tradmarked his brand, but what about the others. What if I decided to show up at Times Square in a Spider Man or Minion's costume and start taking pictures with the tourists. Would the other Spider Man come up to me and say "No, I'M Spider Man"?
They do seem to know each other. I have seen them hanging out and chatting while getting changed into costume (the tend to do so on certain corners out of pedistrian traffic)
-dave
Donillary Crumpton
Well-Known Member
Disney certainly goes after the copycats. They take this sorta stuff so seriously, I have received cease & desist letters in the mail before, asking me to quit impersonating the villain Gaston while walking around my own hometown. 
Once the company realized it was simply my massive biceps and manly pectorals, they dropped any & all legal threats. It was certainly a stressful ordeal getting all that confusion straightened out.
Once the company realized it was simply my massive biceps and manly pectorals, they dropped any & all legal threats. It was certainly a stressful ordeal getting all that confusion straightened out.
DManRightHere
Well-Known Member
In Vegas, I do believe street performers have to get a permit. No idea where I read that though...i'm not sure if if a guy with a sign that says "punch me in the face for $20" constitutes a street performer.
Sketch105
Well-Known Member
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Disney is actually quite careful with their litigation tactics. While many people cite a few instances where they've been especially tenacious, the truth is that they pick and choose. I do artwork at a lot of conventions, and many artists (like myself), have created fan artwork and mashups of Disney characters. Only a few artists get picked to have their stuff removed, usually because the style is too on point with Disney's, or its an against the Disney brand (An artist selling a "sexy Elsa" was given a cease and desist at one con)
I have quite a few friends who do the character party rounds. Most of the Princess Party companies avoid fights with Disney because they don't advertise the characters as the genuine characters...It's "Ice Queen" or "Street Rat". They openly say they are not affiliated with the Disney company, and for the most part Disney turns a blind eye because, as long as they do a good job (no Elsas twerking), they're pushing their brand still.
In addition to that, pursuing legal action is a futile endeavor, especially since there are HUNDREDS of them across the US. Disney would have to individually cease and desist and sue each of them.
brb1006
Well-Known Member
What is with websites like dhgate that always created cheap Disney costumes? They all look like they were made by one guy.
I came across this one which shows the copycat costumes and here's the photo of the official ones by Disney. They are even called "High Quality".
(From the site)
(Official)
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sgtmgd
Well-Known Member
Yes they seem to run in packs, they "offer to have their picture taken " and once complete they "demand" payment for their services. It's ridiculous even more so it happens in eyesight the Disney Store on Times Square. The costumes are generally such low quality I simply don't understand the appeal...I'll be up there next week to see Something Rotten and move my daughter in to Law School so Ill get to watch the train wreck all over again
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
Times Square changed the set up. There are now teal colored boxes painted on the ground where the performers must remain. There are also signs that they have on display that say something along the lines of "while there is no fomal charge to take a picture with a character actor, gratuities are expected" or something like that.
I was there with my daughter in mid-June to see "Fiddler" and they had just instituted that rule. Character actors were still wandernig around, most strayed out of their "boxes"
-dave