From the land where intellectual property is held in the same esteem as last week's Moo Goo Gai Pan, comes news that Disney's characters were successfully cloned.
Apparently, the Beijing-area Shijingshan Amusement Park has been featuring Mickey and Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy and the rest of the Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) gang, as well as settings such as Cinderella's Castle -- right out of the Magic Kingdom.
Until recently, the park even marketed itself with the slogan, "Disneyland is Too Far." However, the Japanese press discovered and reported the deception last month, at the same time the U.S. was preparing to ask the World Trade Organization to address China's piracy issues. Shortly thereafter, the park purged itself of Disneyesque elements.
Ironically, the park has replaced Mickey and Minnie with the mascots of the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. I strongly suspect the park is not paying a license fee for the use of mascots Bei, Jing, Huan, Ying, and Ni, either.
The Beijing Organizing Committee has posted a comprehensive list of restrictions for use of the mascots, which make an amusing read . . . if you like fantasy.
Will Rich Ross really have a positive impact on Disney's movie operations?
Consumers sick of recession, may spend extra on holidays
Corrections, seasonality and Santa Claus
