Disney's Winnie win
Judge denies new trial to owners of Pooh marketing rights who claimed they were shortchanged.
January 27, 2005: 8:02 AM EST
Owners of Winnie the Pooh's marketing rights were denied a new trial in its battle vs. Walt Disney.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles judge has denied a new trial to owners of the U.S. marketing rights for Winnie the Pooh after dismissing the firm's lawsuit against The Walt Disney Co. last year.
Superior Court Judge Charles McCoy threw out the suit last March, ruling that Stephen Slesinger Inc., which holds the rights to the honey-loving bear, had stolen evidence and tainted the case.
Slesinger's lawyers had argued that other remedies besides throwing out the case were possible, but McCoy ruled Wednesday that the knowledge improperly obtained by the Slesinger family could not be purged and there was no alternative to dismissal.
A Slesinger lawyer said he would appeal the case, which Disney (Research) had said could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The family-owned firm that acquired the rights to Pooh in 1930 from British author A.A. Milne had accused Disney of short-changing it in product royalties, a charge Disney strenuously denied.
Judge denies new trial to owners of Pooh marketing rights who claimed they were shortchanged.
January 27, 2005: 8:02 AM EST
Owners of Winnie the Pooh's marketing rights were denied a new trial in its battle vs. Walt Disney.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles judge has denied a new trial to owners of the U.S. marketing rights for Winnie the Pooh after dismissing the firm's lawsuit against The Walt Disney Co. last year.
Superior Court Judge Charles McCoy threw out the suit last March, ruling that Stephen Slesinger Inc., which holds the rights to the honey-loving bear, had stolen evidence and tainted the case.
Slesinger's lawyers had argued that other remedies besides throwing out the case were possible, but McCoy ruled Wednesday that the knowledge improperly obtained by the Slesinger family could not be purged and there was no alternative to dismissal.
A Slesinger lawyer said he would appeal the case, which Disney (Research) had said could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The family-owned firm that acquired the rights to Pooh in 1930 from British author A.A. Milne had accused Disney of short-changing it in product royalties, a charge Disney strenuously denied.
