In a case regarding a Chinese man charged with counterfeiting Disney (DIS) and Warner Bros. products, Tweety, Donald Duck, Daisy and Mickey Mouse were summoned to an Italian court to testify in the case. They're supposed to show up in court Friday for the trial.
"Unfortunately they cannot show up, as they are residents of Disneyland," Fiorenza Sorotto vice president of Disney Company Italia, jokingly said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It certainly pleased us that the characters were considered real, because that's what we try to do."
In the court summons the Italian names for the characters were used, Titti, Paperino, Paperina, Topolino, who were listed as damaged parties in the case.
Evidently the clerks added the names of the cartoon characters to the witness list that were reproduced by the defendant.
With the errors, the trial will be delayed as the summons will have to be rewritten.
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