Serving Sacramento’s Metropolitan Area  We are a small firm with 65 years of litigation experience helping individuals and local businesses.

  1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Intellectual Property Litigation
  4.  » Comic strip likeness subject of new copyright suit

Comic strip likeness subject of new copyright suit

On Behalf of | Apr 7, 2018 | Intellectual Property Litigation

Intellectual property can include a wide range of things such as a new technological invention, the creation of a new music video, a novel and more. It may also include the likeness of a comic strip character. One such character that was originally developed and drawn near the early years of the century is a little frog that appeared in publications for young boys. By 2016, that frog was identified as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League.

It is that transformation and journey that ultimately led the frog’s creator and artist to file a new copyright infringement lawsuit. This new action is actually the second lawsuit regarding the very same frog. While the frog was a character is an ongoing comic series, it eventually was used as a meme online and in posters and on various websites associated with racist, ultra conservative and even anti-semitic groups. It was even used during political campaigns including the most recent presidential campaign of the now President.

Reports indicate that on at least one occasion in 2008 a copyright regarding the frog was published and that some uses of the frog were licensed by the character’s creator. It is not known exactly how actively any non-licensed uses were addressed at the times they happened. No details of the alleged financial damage are known.

When a copyright has been violated, the holder of that copyright might learn about how they may seek compensation by talking with an attorney.

Source: IP Watchdog, “Pepe the Frog Creator Files Copyright Suit Against Infowars over Use of Pepe Likeness on Donald Trump Poster,” Steve Brachmann, March 31, 2018

RSS Feed

FindLaw Network

Put The Weight
Of Your Case On
Our Shoulders.

Intensity.
Experience.
Results.