January 1, 2009 not marked the beginning of the New Year, but it also marked the end Popeye’s copyright in Britain. The image of Popeye which grosses about £1.5 billion in annual sales has finally fallen under public domain. This means anyone in EU can use the image of popeye on t-shirts, posters and comic strips, without requesting permission or paying roaylty fees.
From entertainment.timesonline.co.uk
“From January 1, the iconic sailor falls into the public domain in Britain under an EU law that restricts the rights of authors to 70 years after their death. Elzie Segar, the Illinois artist who created Popeye, his love interest Olive Oyl and nemesis Bluto, died in 1938. “
“The question of whether any enterprising food company can now attach Popeye's famous face to their spinach cans will have to be tested in court.”
“While the copyright is about to expire inside the EU, the character is protected in the US until 2024. US law protects a work for 95 years after its initial copyright. “
“The Popeye trademark, a separate entity to Segar's authorial copyright, is owned by King Features, a subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation — the US entertainment giant — which is expected to protect its brand aggressively.“
Source
From entertainment.timesonline.co.uk
“From January 1, the iconic sailor falls into the public domain in Britain under an EU law that restricts the rights of authors to 70 years after their death. Elzie Segar, the Illinois artist who created Popeye, his love interest Olive Oyl and nemesis Bluto, died in 1938. “
“The question of whether any enterprising food company can now attach Popeye's famous face to their spinach cans will have to be tested in court.”
“While the copyright is about to expire inside the EU, the character is protected in the US until 2024. US law protects a work for 95 years after its initial copyright. “
“The Popeye trademark, a separate entity to Segar's authorial copyright, is owned by King Features, a subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation — the US entertainment giant — which is expected to protect its brand aggressively.“
Source
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