Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009

Winnie the Pooh royalties case is back in LA court

LOS ANGELES -- A company that claims to have made Winnie the Pooh famous is back in court over unpaid royalties for the use of the beloved children's characters.

Attorneys for Stephen Slesinger Inc. filed papers last week in Los Angeles to collect past royalties from Walt Disney Co. and redress for "past improper business practices."

The late Stephen Slesinger signed a licensing deal with Pooh creator A.A. Milne in 1931. Slesinger gave the bear his red shirt, developed Pooh products and then sold the rights to Disney in 1961.

A federal judge ruled in September that Disney owns the licenses, allowing Slesinger to sue for past royalties.

A Slesinger spokesman says the family is owed hundreds of millions of dollars.