THE STORY of Peppa Pig, a high-profile case involving copyright infringement, is as absurd as it can get in the time of war. Peppa Pig is not well-known in India but she is a very popular character in British cartoon TV series and books for children, an anthropomorphised pink porcine who delights the very young and their parents. One such parent is Boris Johnson who till a few days ago was the Prime Minister of the UK. And thereby hangs this tale of trademark infringement permitted by Russia, the only such case since the onset of its conflict with Ukraine.
The popular piglet appears to have become the unlikely victim of Moscow's decree aimed at punishing unfriendly countries, that is, countries which have imposed crippling sanctions on Russia. Peppa Pig is the only one penalised so far, making it clear that Moscow does not intend to use appropriation of intellectual property (IP) as a tool of war. The case, however, has provided grist to the vast propaganda machinery of the West which has been putting out alarmist reports that Russia intends to steal IP wholesale and that a law Moscow enacted in the wake of its war with Ukraine was a free pass for piracy and IP theft in the country. The law in question is Decree 299 issued by the Kremlin in early March which states that when the government decides on the use of an invention, a utility model, or an industrial design without the patent holder's consent, it would pay no compensation to the owner.
Although the infringement suit was instituted before the Ukraine war, the judgement was governed by the sentiment of Decree 299. When Ivan Kozhevnikov, a Russian entrepreneur, created his own version of the cartoon character he was sued for trademark violation and copyright infringement by One Entertainment, the British company that owns Peppa Pig, in 2021, several months before Russia launched its attack on Ukraine. But while rejecting One
Denne historien er fra July 16, 2022-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 16, 2022-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
In leading role again
MOVIES AND WEB SERIES ARE ONCE AGAIN BEING SET IN RUSTIC BACKGROUNDS, INDICATING A RECONNECT BETWEEN CINEMA AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
One Nation One Subscription comes at a huge cost
As top US universities scrap big deals with top scientific publishers, India’s ONOS scheme seems flawed and outdated
Return of Rambhog
Bid to revive and sell the aromatic indigenous paddy variety has led to substantial profits for farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Terai region
Scarred by mining
Natural springs of Kashmir drying up due to illegal riverbed mining
Human-to-human spread a mutation away
CANADA IN mid-November confirmed its first human case of avian influenza, with a teenager in the British Columbia being hospitalised after contracting the H5N1 virus that causes the disease. The patient developed a severe form of the disease, also called bird flu, and had respiratory issues. There was no known cause of transmission.
True rehabilitation
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Kakdi village take relocation as an opportunity to undertake afforestation, develop sustainable practices
INESCAPABLE THREAT
Chemical pollution is the most underrated and underreported risk of the 21st century that threatens all species and regions
THAT NIGHT, 40 YEARS AGO
Bhopal gas disaster is a tragedy that people continue to face
A JOKE, INDEED
A CONFERENCE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PARTIES THAT CREATED AN OPTICAL ILLUSION TO THE REALITY OF A NEW CLIMATE
THINGS FALL APART
THE WORLD HAS MADE PROGRESS IN MITIGATING EMISSIONS AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. BUT THE PROGRESS REMAINS GROSSLY INADEQUATE
