The strange Winnie the Pooh case has taken another turn, as a California appeals court refused to reinstate a case against the Walt Disney Co. (DIS) concerning royalties allegedly owned to the estate of Stephen Slesinger.
A court in Los Angeles dismissed the case in 2004 based on the legal team of the Slesingers actually illegally obtaining Disney documents by trespassing on their property.
This case has gone on since 1991, when the widow and daughter of Slesinger sued Disney, saying they underreported Pooh sales, and owe the estate billions.
Slesinger's daughter, Pati, says she'll appeal this decision to the California Supreme Court, and will also continue on with a federal lawsuit that seeks $2 billion in damages, while also taking the existing rights of Disney for Pooh away from the company.
The rights for Pooh were obtained by Slesinger from author A.A. Milne in 1930, and were passed by Slesinger and Milne's widow to Disney in exchange for royalties on product sales.
Disney attorney Daniel Petrocelli said concerning the case that it "never had merit from the outset and the only way it was kept alive so long was by breaking the rules. This misconduct was breathtaking and there was really no choice but to throw out the case."
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