Posts Tagged: "Captain America"

Characters for Hire cite to Naked Cowboy in fighting Disney’s claims of copyright, trademark infringement

Characters for Hire also argued that the trademark infringement claims lacked the essential element of confusion. Citing to Naked Cowboy v. CBS, a case decided in Southern New York in 2012 involving trademark infringement claims asserted by a Times Square street performer against the use of his likeness in the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, Characters for Hire argue that the use of the names of fictional persons are merely descriptive of the entertainment services provided by the defendants. “Indeed, Plaintiff Disney is well aware of the limits of trademark enforceability having successfully defended a claim brought against them for using the famous ‘Caterpillar’ trademark for construction trucks in one of their films,” Characters for Hire argued. This statement references Caterpillar Inc. v. Walt Disney Co., a 2003 case decided in the Central District of Illinois wherein the court ruled that Disney’s use of construction vehicles with Caterpillar logos in the movie George of the Jungle 2 created no likelihood of confusion that Caterpillar either endorsed or sponsored the movie.

Steve Brachmann

October 28, 2017

Superhero Tech: Captain America’s shield presages bullet-stopping armors

In the world of superheroes, Captain America reigns as one of the most popular figures thanks in no small part to the original 1940’s comic book series as well as the recent string of films making up the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Recent news reports suggest Captain America technology, particularly his shield, may be closer to becoming a reality than many might otherwise believe. With this in mind, as fans of Captain America and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are anxiously awaiting the release of Captain America: Civil War on May 6, 2016, we thought it might be an opportune time to unveil a new series — Superhero Tech.

Steve Brachmann

May 4, 2016

The Walt Disney Company – An Innovative and Creative Pioneer

A strong sense of innovation runs through the entire operations of the Walt Disney Company and the many forms of entertainment media developed by the corporation. For decades, Disney has benefitted from the work of its Imagineering teams, groups of designers and engineers who develop rides and many other features for Disney’s 11 theme parks located worldwide as well as cruise ships, water parks and hotels. Disney’s amusement parks have long had a particular focus on the subject of innovation as can be seen in the many attractions of the Tomorrowland and Epcot theme lands over the years, from the Carousel of Progress to the high tech interactive facility known as Innoventions.
Surprising to some may be that the effects of the Supreme Court ruling in Alice v. CLS Bank has negatively impacted the patent holdings of Disney as a series of patents protecting lip-sync animation technologies were declared invalid in September by a U.S. district judge in California, which found that the patents only protected an abstract set of rules.

Steve Brachmann

December 20, 2014