Pooh chucked out of court

A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge dismissed the lawsuit against Disney, brought by Stephen Slesinger Inc. the owners of the Winnie the Pooh merchandising rights. Concluding they "tampered with the administration of justice" by hiring a private investigator to remove documents from Disney's garbage bins.

Slesinger sued in 1991, seeking additional royalties and the end of the Pooh licensing agreement. Disney only filed its motion for sanctions more than a year ago.

Slesinger issued the following statement:

"Of course, we are appealing to take our Pooh rights back. This decision unfortunately sends a strong message to corporate America that it is okay for companies like Disney to steal and renege on its contractual promises, and just fine to destroy a million pages of evidence along the way. This is just one round in a very long and complicated relationship and another delay of justice. What is in the garbage documents is that Disney committed fraud and the judge has thrown out the baby with the bathwater. This has not removed Disney's ongoing obligation to pay royalties to Slesinger family or remedy its unauthorized uses of Pooh."

I've never seen so much corporate interest in pooh or its royalty.