A troubling query: Who owns Santa Clause?

[crusher914]

Good evening, Niketalk. Tonight I ask a simple question, who owns the rights to 'Santa Clause'? This time of year his name/image pops up everywhere,used to promote anything and everything. So is this fictional character just part of the public domain or what?

 

[kicktionair]

Must be public

 

[derventa]

Originally Posted by crusher914

Good evening, Niketalk. Tonight I ask a simple question, who owns the rights to 'Santa Clause'? This time a year his name/image pops up everywhere, used to promote anything and everything. So is this fictional character just part of the public domain or what?

A troubling query?

this cats losing sleep over this, mutterin to himself "!!$# who owns this fool" in bed

 

[dathbgboy]

Disney

 

[18key]

Illuminati

 

[kiid23]

Public Domain I Bet.

 

[young718chris]

How is this troubling?

 

[pravokal]

Sega

 

[mytmouse76]

Originally Posted by derventa

Originally Posted by crusher914

Good evening, Niketalk. Tonight I ask a simple question, who owns the rights to 'Santa Clause'? This time a year his name/image pops up everywhere, used to promote anything and everything. So is this fictional character just part of the public domain or what?

A troubling query?

this cats losing sleep over this, mutterin to himself "!!$# who owns this fool" in bed

VIACOM owns Santa

 

[im a helion]

Santa Claus is actually trademarked...but with him being so widely known (real or not

) the trademark lawscan't be enforced. He's something of a generic trademark (look up the definition). Some British guy trademarked him I think.

 

[mjbetch]

Originally Posted by 18key

Illuminati

 

[ihavemyownopinion]

Mrs. Clause owns him.
Boy is straight whipped

Plus, I heard through the grapevine that a couple of the elves were "putting in work" while Santa's out delivering presents

 

[tfromthe617]

Originally Posted by derventa

Originally Posted by crusher914

Good evening, Niketalk. Tonight I ask a simple question, who owns the rights to 'Santa Clause'? This time a year his name/image pops up everywhere, used to promote anything and everything. So is this fictional character just part of the public domain or what?

A troubling query?

this cats losing sleep over this, mutterin to himself "!!$# who owns this fool" in bed

 

[jdocs]

Coca-cola ?

 

[im a helion]

Originally Posted by IM A HELION

Santa Claus is actually trademarked...but with him being so widely known (real or not

) the trademark laws can't be enforced. He's something of a generic trademark (look up the definition). Some British guy trademarked him I think.

And to be clear, Disney (Viacom) owns THEIR PARTICULAR IMAGE of Santa...NOT Santa Claus himself.

Examples:

Disney OWNS Mickey Mouse because they created him so they have complete control over his image and how he'sportrayed to the public.
Disney does NOT own Snow White because they did NOT create her. But they DO own THEIR PARTICULAR IMAGE/REPRESENTATIONof Show White.

Hope that clears it up.

EDIT: And I made a goof earlier...British dude owns the domain name...not Santa. So I guess that means he'spublic domain.

but he sorta owns the name. It's all so confusing when you do research.

 

[mytmouse76]

i was actually joking about viacom

 

[blknaitch]

 

[halftime718]

Originally Posted by JDocs

Coca-cola ?

Yup

 

[grizzly hebert]

Little known fact:

St. Nick is also the patron saint of hookers.

Thanks, Manswers

 

[biff lawson]

his copyright expired 75 years after his death

rip

 

[addictedtofreshkicks]

I'm pretty sure Coca-Cola invented the Santa character that is popular today.

 

[im a helion]

Originally Posted by AddictedToFreshKicks

I'm pretty sure Coca-Cola invented the Santa character that is popular today.

That's actually false. The artist that originally drew him (Sundblom, I think his name is)wasn't the originator of the idea. That's not to say that Coca-Cola wasn't the sole entity that distributed his current image throughout society(which they did). But they didn't create it, and they don't own the rights to it.