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Disney spared Pooh royalties
29.09.09
An 18-year battle over $700 million (£439 million) of Winne the Pooh royalties has ended after a Los Angeles court ruled that the Walt Disney corporation does not owe the money.
New York-based company Stephen Slesinger bought the licensing and merchandising rights to the stories about the “silly old bear” from their author AA Milne in 1930.
Slesinger sold the rights to Disney in 1961 in exchange for a regular royalty but claimed in 1991 that Disney had fiddled payments.
After years of court wrangling, a US district court judge has now ruled that Slesinger has no claims over any Pooh rights.
