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Home · News · Warner Bros Studios Settle 'Wizard Of Oz' Public Domain Lawsuit
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Warner Bros Studios Settle 'Wizard Of Oz' Public Domain Lawsuit
Any work that is considered to be in public domain can be duplicated and sold to the public without needing to pay for licensing. 'The Wizard of Oz' was written by Frank L. Baum 111 years ago, but Warner Brothers Studios purchased and has the rights to all of the book's characters. In fact, there is a movie in the works right now that is based on 'The Wizard of Oz' character, the Great Oz, and the producers might have to make substantial changes to the appearance of the cast if they want to avoid being sued.AVELA, a company which sells public domain memorabilia, was able to prove that selling products based on the original 'The Wizard of Oz' book did not violate Warner Brothers Studios copyrights. However, a court ruled that Warner Bros. Studios reserves the right to hold the copyright to the physical description of all characters. In other words, anyone can make their own adaptation of 'The Wizard of Oz,' but they must get the expressed consent of Warner Brothers Studios if they want to be able to capitalize on the trademarked image.
This court decision will have a major effect on companies that market nostalgia. T-shirts, backpacks, key chains and pens emblazoned with the images of 'Tarzan,' 'Alice in Wonderland,' and 'The Wizard of Oz' have been sold to the masses for years. Major companies such as Warner Brothers Studios usually charge substantial fees to those that want to be issued licenses, which will make it much harder for small businesses to make a profit.
06.07.2011. 21:24