‘Legal action waits in the wings for panto teams that catch Frozen fever’

 
Copyright: Disney is protective of Frozen favourites like Elsa
Disney
Paul Cheston15 December 2014

Lawyers today warned that anyone planning to recreate the magic of Walt Disney’s Frozen this Christmas risked costly repercussions.

Frozen is the highest grossing animated film in box office history. But legal experts have told of the dangers of unwittingly breaking the law at school plays, amateur pantos, karaoke evenings and office parties.

They said the Disney empire is notoriously protective of its images, icons and, most importantly, copyright.

Peter Forshaw, partner at law firm Weightmans LLP, warned: “Panto or even office productions riffing on popular films or music could unknowingly contravene copyright laws, meaning potential legal actions waiting in the wings come January.

“All it takes is for a spoof video to be uploaded on to YouTube or to start doing the rounds on Twitter and the risks could start to mount up.”

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