Copyright Law
Mayor Claims Lawyers are Grinches for Letter Targeting Seuss Display
Posted Nov 26, 2008 8:41 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
The city of Louisville is changing its plans for a holiday celebration featuring characters from How the Grinch Stole Christmas after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from a DLA Piper lawyer representing Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
The city’s Light Up Louisville celebration will still kick off on Friday, but the name of one of the displays will be changed from “LouWhoVille” to “Lou-ville,” report the Associated Press and Louisville Courier-Journal.
The city acted after receiving a letter that says the “Who-ville” name and Grinch characters are copyrighted and cannot be used without permission.
Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson sees a link between fiction and reality. “It appears these lawyers’ hearts are two sizes too small,” he said in a press release. “But we won’t allow these Grinches to keep the holiday spirit from coming to Louisville.”
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Comments
B. McLeod
Nov 26, 2008 9:03 AM CST
Was it “Grinch”? Well, then. Please disregard my earlier post on the Gingrich story.
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Peter Gulia
Nov 26, 2008 2:47 PM CST
Even if one recognizes the ostensible suggestion that an intellectual-property holder might allow a little non-commercial use (which isn’t known on the story reported), one might have slightly more respect for a speaker had he asked Dr. Seuss Enterprises whether it authorized or ratified its attorney’s act. Unless those answers are No and No, the cease-and-desist threat is the act of Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
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Darren
Nov 30, 2008 7:52 PM CST
it’s wrong for the mayor to try to play on sentiment. Geisel’s characters are legally protected and should be. There are Seuss Christmas displays in Springfield, Mass., but those are tied to the Seuss National Memorial in that city. http://www.uptake.com/blog/family_vacations/dr-seuss-national-memorial-sculpture-garden-sprin gfield-massachusetts_1414.html
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