XXX Toon Parodies Are Legal - GoFuckYourself.com

Mutt · 12-26-2002, 11:32 AM

Anybody ever received a C & D from an animation company over some dirty funny toons featuring well known cartoon characters?
It's legal for anybody to make a parody featuring Mickey Mouse or
Bugs Bunny, even if it's filthy dirty. Here's an article about SNL's recent parody of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

************************************************** **
Robert Smigel seems to get paid to do two things: Write funny cartoons for ''Saturday Night Live'' and irritate people with them.

The mind and pen behind the show's popular ''TV Funhouse'' segments have goofed on everyone from Michael Jackson to Larry King and Barbara Walters, not to mention a good number of this country's past and present presidents and Christina Aguilera. If you're in the spotlight, chances are Smigel's going to get you, sooner or later.

On a recent ''SNL,'' however, Smigel ventured onto what some consider sacred turf: Charles M. Schulz's beloved holiday cartoon ''A Charlie Brown Christmas.'' How, some people are asking, could he do this without getting sued?

The segment featured the Peanuts gang waving their arms and magically transforming people and things. Peppermint Patty and Marcie, for instance, were changed into giant, voluptuous lesbians.

''I think it's terrible,'' says Edna Poehner, Schulz's former secretary, who works at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, Calif. ''I've had several calls ... from people who were just horrified.''

Horrifying, perhaps. But is it illegal?

According to Schulz's representatives and people at ''SNL,'' no. Even with the Peanuts franchise under copyright, both camps say no laws were broken.

''I can't imagine the network would have allowed that to go on the air if there were legal questions about it,'' says Marc Liepis, a spokesman for NBC. ''There was at least approval or acknowledgment from [Schulz's] people.''

Melissa Menta, a spokeswoman for New York-based United Media - which, along with the Schulz family, owns the rights to Peanuts - says ''no one's up in arms over it.''

''They created their own animations,'' she says. ''It was a parody.''

And that's the key, lawyers say.

Jeffrey Collins, an attorney for the Pennington Baker law firm in Fort Worth, says parodying an already established body of work is legal.

''You have a lot of leeway with parodies,'' he says. ''A lot of these silly movies you see today are parodies of other movies, and they're legal.''

Parodies fall under a legal umbrella called ''fair-use exception,'' says Fort Worth lawyer Guy V. Manning. Permission, in these cases, is not necessarily required.

''To parody someone else who has put themselves out in the public, particularly if that other person is making a political commentary, is a quick way of rebuttal using their own work,'' says Manning. ''Weird Al Yankovic was doing something similar. I imagine he did that with permission, but fair use assumes you don't have permission. I'm not saying what `SNL' did is fair use; it's just that it might be.''

Smigel has made a career out of satire. A veteran writer for ''Saturday Night Live,'' he appeared as one of the beer-drinking commentators on the show's ''Da Bears'' sketches. He then trailed ''SNL'' writer Conan O'Brien to his late-night NBC show in 1993, serving as head writer and coproducer.

After working with O'Brien and then, briefly, Dana Carvey, Smigel returned to ''SNL,'' his over-the-top cartoons in hand.

If Smigel has indeed been tromping on legal rights, Manning says, he probably would have been sued a long time ago.

''Sometimes it can be argued either way,'' he says. ''But if it's a true parody, no laws have been broken.''

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/36...ot_laws+.shtml

Hentaikid · 01-17-2003, 02:29 PM

I haven't, but I know several artists who have. One had some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters doing the nasty, so the artist removed the gallery, then after a while put the pics up again just without mentioning names. Lawyers might know how to do keyword searches, but they're not so hot at recognizing characters from pics....

Nysus · 01-17-2003, 02:43 PM

That is right, it is legal to serve Toon Parodies, as long as you own the copyright/license to display them. Otherwise they artist could sue ya.

Cheers,
Matt

12-26-2002, 11:32 AM	#1
Mutt Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 34,431	XXX Toon Parodies Are Legal Anybody ever received a C & D from an animation company over some dirty funny toons featuring well known cartoon characters? It's legal for anybody to make a parody featuring Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny, even if it's filthy dirty. Here's an article about SNL's recent parody of A Charlie Brown Christmas. ************************************************ Robert Smigel seems to get paid to do two things: Write funny cartoons for ''Saturday Night Live'' and irritate people with them. The mind and pen behind the show's popular ''TV Funhouse'' segments have goofed on everyone from Michael Jackson to Larry King and Barbara Walters, not to mention a good number of this country's past and present presidents and Christina Aguilera. If you're in the spotlight, chances are Smigel's going to get you, sooner or later. On a recent ''SNL,'' however, Smigel ventured onto what some consider sacred turf: Charles M. Schulz's beloved holiday cartoon ''A Charlie Brown Christmas.'' How, some people are asking, could he do this without getting sued? The segment featured the Peanuts gang waving their arms and magically transforming people and things. Peppermint Patty and Marcie, for instance, were changed into giant, voluptuous lesbians. ''I think it's terrible,'' says Edna Poehner, Schulz's former secretary, who works at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, Calif. ''I've had several calls ... from people who were just horrified.'' Horrifying, perhaps. But is it illegal? According to Schulz's representatives and people at ''SNL,'' no. Even with the Peanuts franchise under copyright, both camps say no laws were broken. ''I can't imagine the network would have allowed that to go on the air if there were legal questions about it,'' says Marc Liepis, a spokesman for NBC. ''There was at least approval or acknowledgment from [Schulz's] people.'' Melissa Menta, a spokeswoman for New York-based United Media - which, along with the Schulz family, owns the rights to Peanuts - says ''no one's up in arms over it.'' ''They created their own animations,'' she says. ''It was a parody.'' And that's the key, lawyers say. Jeffrey Collins, an attorney for the Pennington Baker law firm in Fort Worth, says parodying an already established body of work is legal. ''You have a lot of leeway with parodies,'' he says. ''A lot of these silly movies you see today are parodies of other movies, and they're legal.'' Parodies fall under a legal umbrella called ''fair-use exception,'' says Fort Worth lawyer Guy V. Manning. Permission, in these cases, is not necessarily required. ''To parody someone else who has put themselves out in the public, particularly if that other person is making a political commentary, is a quick way of rebuttal using their own work,'' says Manning. ''Weird Al Yankovic was doing something similar. I imagine he did that with permission, but fair use assumes you don't have permission. I'm not saying what `SNL' did is fair use; it's just that it might be.'' Smigel has made a career out of satire. A veteran writer for ''Saturday Night Live,'' he appeared as one of the beer-drinking commentators on the show's ''Da Bears'' sketches. He then trailed ''SNL'' writer Conan O'Brien to his late-night NBC show in 1993, serving as head writer and coproducer. After working with O'Brien and then, briefly, Dana Carvey, Smigel returned to ''SNL,'' his over-the-top cartoons in hand. If Smigel has indeed been tromping on legal rights, Manning says, he probably would have been sued a long time ago. ''Sometimes it can be argued either way,'' he says. ''But if it's a true parody, no laws have been broken.'' http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/36...ot_laws+.shtml __________________ I moved my sites to Vacares Hosting. I've saved money, my hair is thicker, lost some weight too! Thanks Sly!

01-17-2003, 02:43 PM	#3
Nysus Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,817	That is right, it is legal to serve Toon Parodies, as long as you own the copyright/license to display them. Otherwise they artist could sue ya. Cheers, Matt __________________ What name is pr0 / Untouched Markets using these days? Untouched Markets - pr0 - Refund My Money Now Someone owes me $2,000 because they didn't do any work that was paid for pointing at pr0 / William / UntouchedMarkets See https://gfy.com/fucking-around-and-business-discussion/948258-untouchedmarkets-pr0-refund-money-post16744521.html and for more detailed see https://gfy.com/fucking-around-and-business-discussion/948645-re-recent-bullshit-drama-explained-detail-pr0-untouched-markets.html

01-17-2003, 02:29 PM	#2
Hentaikid Confirmed User Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 1,249	I haven't, but I know several artists who have. One had some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters doing the nasty, so the artist removed the gallery, then after a while put the pics up again just without mentioning names. Lawyers might know how to do keyword searches, but they're not so hot at recognizing characters from pics....