MSER001@ECNCDC.BITNET (Scott Hutinger) (08/29/89)
Kermit, and his friends. I waited to see if I heard any more about this, and have not heard that they were purchased. I did hear again tonight that Disney was going to purchase Kermit, but nothing else. Does this mean Disney is going to sue everybody that uses the name Kermit? I wonder what this will do to the Kermit we all find on our computers? Has anyone heard anything else about this? scott hutinger mser001@ecncdc.bitnet
rkh@mtune.ATT.COM (Robert Halloran) (08/29/89)
In article <8908282018.aa06527@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> MSER001@ECNCDC.BITNET (Scott Hutinger) writes: >Kermit, and his friends. I waited to see if I heard any more about this, >and have not heard that they were purchased. I did hear again tonight that >Disney was going to purchase Kermit, but nothing else. > >Does this mean Disney is going to sue everybody that uses the name Kermit? >I wonder what this will do to the Kermit we all find on our computers? Last night's network news made comment that Disney was buying Jim Henson Assoc. for $100M. (Yow!). I don't know if I like the prospect of Henson's creativity being diluted by Disney's more conservative outlook, but as far as our favorite file transfer program goes, a footnote from pg. 3 of Frank da Cruz's 'Kermit: A File Transfer Protocol': '...When BYTE magazine was preparing our 1984 Kermit article for publication, they suggested we contact Henson Associates Inc. for permissions to say that we did indeed name the protocol after Kermit the Frog. Permission was kindly granted, and now the real story can be told.' I'll assume Disney can't retract the permission. Bob Halloran ========================================================================= UUCP: att!mtune!rkh Internet: rkh@mtune.ATT.COM Disclaimer: If you think AT&T would have ME as a spokesman, you're crazed. Quote: "History is made at night. Character is what you are in the Dark" - Lord John Whorfin, "Buckaroo Banzai"
SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall) (08/30/89)
On Tue, 29 Aug 89 12:35:33 GMT you said: >file transfer program goes, a footnote from pg. 3 of Frank da Cruz's 'Kermit: >A File Transfer Protocol': > > '...When BYTE magazine was preparing our 1984 Kermit article for >publication > they suggested we contact Henson Associates Inc. for permissions to say >that > we did indeed name the protocol after Kermit the Frog. Permission was > kindly granted, and now the real story can be told.' > >I'll assume Disney can't retract the permission. Nope, especially if it's in writing (as I presume it is). There's not much chance of commercial confusion between a green frog and a file transfer protocol (even if the results of file transfers sometimes turn people green :-) Murph Sewall Vaporware? ---> [Gary Larson returns 1/1/90] Prof. of Marketing Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET Business School sewall%uconnvm.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu [INTERNET] U of Connecticut {psuvax1 or mcvax }!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL [UUCP] (203) 486-5246 [FAX] (203) 486-2489 [PHONE] 41 49N 72 15W [ICBM] The opposite of artificial intelligence is genuine stupidity! -+- I don't speak for my employer, though I frequently wish that I could (subject to change without notice; void where prohibited)
emerrill@tippy.uucp (08/30/89)
>Does this mean Disney is going to sue everybody that uses the name Kermit? >I wonder what this will do to the Kermit we all find on our computers? What if Disney decides to create a new cartoon character and name it ymodem? (not that anybody would wanna watch "Ymodem and the Zany antics of the Protocal Gang"...) :-) I don't think that they would be able to sue anybody who uses ymodem, now would they? _________________________________________________________ | | | Eric Merrill Alink PE: Doc Neuro GEnie: e.merrill | | tippy!emerrill@newton.physics.purdue.edu | | Disclaimer: | | If you think I'm serious, that's your problem! | |_________________________________________________________|
rewing@Apple.COM (Richard Ewing) (08/31/89)
Indeed, Henson Associates was purchased by Disney at the tune of over 150 million. Its a pretty good match, really. Disney gets the incredible market appeal of the Muppets, 5 feature films, old Muppet show programs, Muppet babies, etc. For henson, he gets his characters even more marketing appeal, and confidence that the Muppet characters will outlive him (after all, Mickey lives, doesn't he?). Jim Henson also gets a nice retirement nest egg, not that he really needs it. He still owns the Muppet characters per se, and any new ones that he creates. Disney on the other hand gets to market and present the characters in whatever medium they see fit, so the deal actually works out. Since henson gave permission to Columbia for use of the Kermit name, I doubt if we'll see that go away by Disney lawyers. And another note, Disney doesn't get any of the characters created for the Children's television Workshop, who owns such notables as Big Bird, Ernie and Bert, and Mr. Snoffalupagus to name a few. __________________________________________________________________________ |Disclaimer: Segmentation Fault: Core Dumped. | | | |Internet: REWING@APPLE.COM-----------------------Rick Ewing | |ApplelinkPE & MacNet Soon!------------------Apple Computer, Inc. | |Applelink: EWING--------------------100 Ashford Center North, Suite 100 | |Compu$erve: [76474,1732]--------------------Atlanta, GA 30338 | |GENIE: R.EWING1--------------------------TalkNet: (404) 393-9358 | |USENET: {amdahl,decwrl,sun,unisoft}!apple!rewing | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^