The much loved and friendly childhood character, Winnie the Pooh, has turned sour in new slasher-horror film amid the expiration of his copyright period. In the United States, copyright is valid for 95 years (while only 70 in the UK), and for Winnie the Pooh’s creator, A.A. Milne, his estate’s ownership over the bear ended last year which meant that the yellow honey-loving bear is free to be used and depicted by anyone in the world, in any which way they choose. Rhys Frake-Waterfield, a part-time filmmaker has reportedly turned Winnie the Pooh into a villainous main character in a new horror film, within just five months of the bear being free of any copyrights. Little did he know it would be one of the biggest films of 2023 – Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Frake-Waterfield has split the public and with reports some are outraged by the film, and the abuse of the character. However, not all of the Milne’s characters are available to villainise as only one of four books, namely Winnie the Pooh (1926), has surpassed the copyright period. Therefore, Tiger, Eeyore, Rabbit, Piglet and other characters will remain protected for now. If you have any questions on the above, please do not hesitate to contact the team at McDaniels Law on 0191 281 4000 or legal@mcdanielslaw.com . in: Consumer Law, Copyright, EU/International, Legal News, News
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