Overview
- The firm moved to dismiss its federal case without prejudice last week, pausing its request for a declaratory judgment.
- Filed in September, the suit sought court approval to run a black-and-white ad using the 1928 Steamboat Willie depiction without infringing Disney’s rights.
- The proposed commercial showed a boat-piloting character crashing into a car driven by a Minnie look-alike and included disclaimers that Disney did not endorse it.
- Court reports and filings offered no explanation for the withdrawal and did not indicate a settlement, leaving the option to refile.
- Disney stated it remains committed to preventing unlawful copyright and trademark uses that could cause consumer confusion.