Disney’s Intellectual Property Rights Infringed by Chinese Theme Park
As a Florida patent attorney with 3 kids dragging me to Orlando regularly to visit Mickey, I found this AP News Alert of special interest. The Shijingshan Amusement Park in Beijing, China, is having to explain why their round-eared mouse dancing with kids is not a knock off of Disney’s Mickey Mouse according to an AP News Alert issued Wednesday, May 9, 2007. According to the article, they also happen to have a "raven-haired" woman with seven men in elf suits.
Many see the Beijing theme park as evidence of rampant Chinese copying of U.S. intellectual property. According to the article, the industry group – International Intellectual Property Alliance – estimated losses to Chinese piracy of books, films, music and software last year at $2.2 billion. Beijing has penalties for violators of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property but infringement is allegedly growiing faster than enforcement.