Disney decides to 'Let it Go' with a settlement instead of bring Frozen lawsuit to trial

The Walt Disney Company just settled a lawsuit with a woman claiming that the trailer for Frozen infringed on her intellectual property.

Filmmaker Kelly Wilson's suit argued that her short film, "The Snowman" was almost identical to a 2013 teaser for Disney's recent animated blockbuster. Her film is, according to the suit, a "short 2D computer-animated motion picture about an 'average Joe' snowman who must battle a gang of hungry rabbits to save his carrot nose."

Likewise, Disney's first teaser for Frozen featured their character Olaf, an overly cheerful snowman, protecting his nose from Sven the reindeer. In addition to the plot of the teaser bearing similarities to Wilson's film, her case claimed that Olaf was "substantially similar to to the depiction of the snowman character in 'The Snowman.'

This isn't the first time Disney has faced an intellectual property case about frozen. Author Muneefa Abdullah, for instance, filed an infringement suit claiming that the plot of the film was stolen from her story "The Snow Princess," in her recent book "New Fairy Tales."

The details of the settlement have yet to be made public, though a June 10 court order claims that both parties feel that the case has been resolved. The lawsuit being settled has paved the way for Disney to continue work on their Frozen sequel without any further hassle.

If you believe someone is unfairly profiting off of your work without your permission, it's important to contact a skilled business attorney as soon as possible. A lawyer can help protect your rights in case of litigation, and get you just compensation.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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