When readers were introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh in 1926, you’d struggle to find a more pure, innocent literary character. But in the years since we first met the cuddly creature, something changed, and that change has allowed Pooh to be portrayed in a new film as… a bloodthirsty serial killer!? Yes, you read that correctly -- the beloved bear has swapped his love of honey for a love of blood. How could this happen?!
On this episode of Stroke of Genius, host Raha Francis is joined by Christine Xiao, an Associate at Womble Bond Dickinson LLP, to discuss what happens when copyright protection ends for famous pop culture characters. Pooh, for example, entered the public domain in January of 2022, creating the opportunity for the character to be used in derivative works by other creators. Christine and Raha also tackle the important distinctions between copyrights and trademarks, and touch on which other famous characters could soon find themselves in the same situation as Winnie-the-Pooh.
To learn more about Christine Xiao you can visit her profile at Womble Bond Dickinson LLP, or follow the link to read her article about Winnie-the-Pooh in IP Watchdog. The Texas Standard also has a fascinating piece about What expiring copyright protections mean for our media landscape.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.