Coco | Pixar / Lee Unkrich | Now playing | #1 all-time in Mexico

[AniNate]

EW article which includes concept art of above still 

http://ew.com/movies/2016/12/25/coco-first-look-pixar

[shayhiri]

Did they really HAVE to steal this from Kubo...

 

Kubo is such a defenseless little movie.

 

PS: There's even time to rename this (who's to stop them?): Coco & the Six Strings!!

Edited December 25, 2016 by shayhiri

[Sal]

5 hours ago, shayhiri said:

Did they really HAVE to steal this from Kubo...

 

Kubo is such a defenseless little movie.

 

PS: There's even time to rename this (who's to stop them?): Coco & the Six Strings!!

 

Those look like monarch butterflies, not paper.  Monarch Butterflies are associated with the souls of the dead in Dia de los Muertos celebration because of the monarch migration.

 

I'm not thrilled with some of what Disney has been doing with this film in pre-production, but at least take a moment to consider before accusing them of ripping off a film that didn't even pass 50m domestically, especially when this film has been in production for 5 years.  There's a lot of way more valid complaints you could make about it.  (ie: ripping off book of life)

Edited December 25, 2016 by Sal

[Hades]

21 hours ago, Mojoguy said:

Yep, Disney tried to trademark an entire holiday. What a bunch of morons.

The backlash was well deserved.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/08/entertainment/la-et-ct-disney-dia-de-los-muertos-20130507

Lol That's beyond offensive .Disney showing their true colors and pretending to care about other cultures. I can only wonder what else their dumb lawyers have tried to trademark in the past.

[AniNate]

1 hour ago, Sal said:

 

Those look like monarch butterflies, not paper.  Monarch Butterflies are associated with the souls of the dead in Dia de los Muertos celebration because of the monarch migration.

 

I'm not thrilled with some of what Disney has been doing with this film in pre-production, but at least take a moment to consider before accusing them of ripping off a film that didn't even pass 50m domestically, especially when this film has been in production for 5 years.  There's a lot of way more valid complaints you could make about it.  (ie: ripping off book of life)

 

If it's been in production for five  years why is it so much more valid to accuse it of ripping off a movie that came out two years ago and did only marginally better at the box office?  

Edited December 25, 2016 by tribefan695

[Sal]

6 minutes ago, tribefan695 said:

 

If it's been in production for five  years why is it so much more valid to accuse it of ripping off a movie that came out two years ago and made only marginally more at the box office?  

 

Personally I don't think it ripped off Book of Life either, but I'm saying if you're going to accuse it of ripping off a movie, why not point at the movie that's got way more in common with it rather than a relatively minor thing from a really different movie?  

[Jason]

I'm glad that Disney changed the name of the film and withdrew their trademark application for the phrase "Dia de Los Muertos", it was clearly causing offence.

 

However, I'd like to point out that trademarking the name of a film is standard practice, and more importantly would only restrict others from using the phrase in association with the film or associated products. There seems to be a widespread (and mistaken) impression that the phrase being trademarked would somehow restrict the use of the phrase in its traditional usage. It would not.

 

For example, the name of our related (though now entirely secularized) holiday, Halloween, has been trademarked multiple times. Each trademark protects only the products or services specifically identified in the application, and does not prevent anyone else from continuing to use the word Halloween. Or to file their own trademark for "Halloween", associated with their own product or service.

 

I think it's understandable that the filmmakers and lawyers at Disney thought nothing of it until complaints were made.

[AniNate]

I know people like to focus on negativity and self-righteousness but it should be pointed out that the point of that story being brought up in both the VF and EW articles was to emphasize that Lee Unkrich and Pixar were emotionally affected by the backlash and are attempting to make cultural sensitivity a top priority with this film.

Edited December 26, 2016 by tribefan695

[Hades]

Emotionally affected lol yeah right. They are just playing the victim card  and not fooling anyone. There had to be a backlash for them to remember cultural sensitivity. 

[Morieris]

34 minutes ago, Hades said:

Emotionally affected lol yeah right. They are just playing the victim card  and not fooling anyone. There had to be a backlash for them to remember cultural sensitivity. 

 

I'm glad they stood down and learned something but....yeah.

 

Either way I....don't have a lot of interest so far just because it looks SO MUCH like Book of Life story wise. 

Edited December 26, 2016 by Morieris

[chasmmi]

Yeah I am pretty sure that Trademark wise its a bit like if I made a Horror film and decided to call it Halloween, I may face some legal challenge over it.

 

But if I decided to hold a party on October 31st and call it Chas' Halloween!!! I don't think John Carpenter will be suing me any time soon. 

[Arlborn]

11 hours ago, Jason said:

I'm glad that Disney changed the name of the film and withdrew their trademark application for the phrase "Dia de Los Muertos", it was clearly causing offence.

 

However, I'd like to point out that trademarking the name of a film is standard practice, and more importantly would only restrict others from using the phrase in association with the film or associated products. There seems to be a widespread (and mistaken) impression that the phrase being trademarked would somehow restrict the use of the phrase in its traditional usage. It would not.

 

For example, the name of our related (though now entirely secularized) holiday, Halloween, has been trademarked multiple times. Each trademark protects only the products or services specifically identified in the application, and does not prevent anyone else from continuing to use the word Halloween. Or to file their own trademark for "Halloween", associated with their own product or service.

 

I think it's understandable that the filmmakers and lawyers at Disney thought nothing of it until complaints were made.

That actually makes a lot of sense, thank you for pointing it out.

[AniNate]

1 hour ago, Morieris said:

 

I'm glad they stood down and learned something but....yeah.

 

 

You seriously think the screenwriters and animators at Pixar have any control over what Disney's legal department does? I doubt trademarking anything is on their minds.

Edited December 26, 2016 by tribefan695

[Morieris]

10 minutes ago, tribefan695 said:

 

You seriously think the screenwriters and animators at Pixar have any control over what Disney's legal department does? I doubt trademarking anything is on their minds.

 

You're right. The lawyers backtracked but the writers being 'emotionally affected' just sounds like being over the top.  Your company messed up yet again but it's nothing more than a blip in the long run.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Morieris

[AniNate]

If you want exact words...

 

Quote

 

By 2013, the film was already entrenched in controversy. Disney filed an application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to secure the phrase “Día de los Muertos,” or “Day of the Dead,” across multiple platforms. That move received instant and harsh backlash from the Latino community. One of the most intense reactions came from Chicano artist Lalo Alcaraz, who created a poster featuring a rampaging skeletal mouse. It claimed that Disney was coming to “trademark your cultura.” Disney swiftly pulled the trademark request, and Unkrich is now the first to admit the trademarking attempt was a mistake. The reaction it stoked, he says, was “personally devastating.”

 

There were, however, positive consequences. Pixar chose to bring some of its harshest critics into the fold, including Alcaraz. He joined playwright Octavio Solís and former C.E.O. of the Mexican Heritage Corp. Marcela Davison Aviles to form a tight-knit cultural consultant group for the film.
 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2016 by tribefan695

[franfar]

On 12/24/2016 at 6:46 PM, Mojoguy said:

Yep, Disney tried to trademark an entire holiday. What a bunch of morons.

The backlash was well deserved.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/08/entertainment/la-et-ct-disney-dia-de-los-muertos-20130507

It's things like that that really make me hate Disney. They have way too much influence w/their monopoly from the animated film industry. They keep pushing back copyright terms b/c they don't want Mickey Mouse on the public domain 

[Morieris]

I didn't doubt you, but it's like when people give an apology for making an offensive mistake. "I'm so sorry, not my intention, I feel so bad people are mad, love, culture, acceptance, have a little compassion we are all learning." a lot of superfluous platitudes. For most people, it's about them personally feeling better instead of any real remorse.

 

 Their actions spoke for them by bringing people in to be a consultant group, so while the initial move by the company was tone deaf, they went above and beyond in fixing it.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Morieris

[The Panda]

I don't get the hate on Disney's legal department for this.  Does it look bad?  Yes.  Is it out of the ordinary, and were they trying to trademark the actual holiday?  No.

 

I think it comes across the wrong way from Disney, but it's fairly standard practice and would only be trademarking the term with uses relating to Coco.

[Hades]

Disney wishes it had a monopoly from the animated film industry. The 90s are long gone. They lost it after they got too arrogant and comfortable.

[The Panda]

1 hour ago, chasmmi said:

Yeah I am pretty sure that Trademark wise its a bit like if I made a Horror film and decided to call it Halloween, I may face some legal challenge over it.

 

But if I decided to hold a party on October 31st and call it Chas' Halloween!!! I don't think John Carpenter will be suing me any time soon. 

 

You would only face potential issue if your party was a large John Carpenter's Halloween inspired Halloween party.

 

I also believe when Disney originally filed the trademark they were planning on the film being called Dia de los muertos, which a trademark would make sense.  They'd only be trademarking the phrase as a title to the movie and in reference to the movie.