A judge in Russia has passed a ruling that allows copyright infringement of the popular British cartoon Peppa Pig and other international brands from “unfriendly nations” like the US and the UK
Peppa Pig can be copied by businesses in Russia without any threat of punishment for copyright infringement, a court ruled. Image courtesy: @peppapig/Twitter
Russia is feeling the pinch of economic sanctions imposed on it for its invasion of Ukraine. And it has now chosen to hit back with a rather unique weapon — Peppa Pig, the popular British cartoon.
A court in Russia has ruled that the cartoon, featuring Peppa, the pig, her family and friends, can be copied by businesses across the country without any concern of violation of trademark infringement. Using the cartoon would not invite any punishment. The move comes in retaliation to sanctions imposed on Moscow by the United Kingdom and other nations.
What’s the court ruling about?
Last September, One Entertainment, the company behind Peppa Pig, sued a Russian entrepreneur for creating his versions of the popular cartoon characters – Peppa Pig and Daddy Pig, among others. It demanded that Ivan Kozhevnikov should shell out a compensation of 40,000 roubles for breach of copyright.
Now a court in Kirov, northeast of Moscow, has dismissed the case. Judge Andrei Slavinsky has said in his ruling that the “unfriendly actions of the United States of America and affiliated foreign countries” had influenced his decision.
According to the judge, “restrictive” political and economic sanctions from the West over the military invasion of Ukraine allowed the court to refuse Entertainment One UK Ltd’s infringement claims. The use of patented inventions, industrial designs and utility models from “unfriendly countries”, namely the US and Britain, will still be permitted in Russia, the ruling said, according a report in the British tabloid Daily Mail.
Slavinsky said that the sanctions against Russia allowed the court not to protect the company’s trademark rights. There’s believe that authorities in Moscow have used the ongoing case as an opportunity to hit out at the West.
The case is just one of the multiple Peppa Pig infringement cases filed in Russia from the UK. There have been several cases filed in Siberia as well.
In 2019, American multinational Hasbro acquired the animated TV series in a $3.8 billion deal for Entertainment One. When the case was filed the compensation amounted to GBP400 (Rs 39.9 lakh). Now with the value of the Russian rouble slipping dramatically, the compensation has been reduced to GBP230 (Rs 22.95 lakh).
Boris Johnson’s Peppa Pig obsession
The Peppa Pig verdict is possibly Russia’s way of riling up British prime minister Boris Johnson. In November 2021, in a bizarre address, the premier had spoken about his liking for the cartoon.
He told business executives at the Confederation of British Industry that “no Whitehall civil servant would conceivably come up with Peppa”, as he praised the “power of UK creativity”.
“Yesterday I went, as we all must, to Peppa Pig World… I loved it. Peppa Pig World is very much my kind of place: it has very safe streets, discipline in schools,” he had said in a speech that went viral.
He didn’t stop at that. “Who would have believed that a pig that looks like a hairdryer or possibly a Picasso-like hairdryer, a pig that was rejected by the BBC, would now be exported to 180 countries with theme parks both in America and China,” Johnson had said.
Trademark wars
It looks the popular pig has now becoming Russia’s tool of revenge.
The Peppa Pig verdict, however, obscure is a cause of worry. There’s fear that the world’s ‘most-sanctioned nation’ could encourage more trademark violations with the Kremlin issuing an order that permits patented inventions and industrial designs from “unfriendly countries” to be used without permission. Those using them will not be subject to compensation.
Russia’s list of unfriendly countries include Ukraine, the US, the UK, Canada, all the 27 European Union nations, Switzerland, Iceland Australia, Japan, South Korea, among others.
Since the invasion, countries the world over have imposed sanctions on Russia. The most restrictions are imposed by the United States, followed by Switzerland. The UK is among the country which has imposed the least sanctions on the aggressor nation but among increasing pressure from the United States and the European Union is expanding the penalties.
Several big brands – McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Apple, IKEA, Starbucks, H&M, Zara, Levi’s, to mention a few – have pulled out of Russia. Now there is growing fear that Moscow might allow trademarks to be stolen on a wider scale.
With inputs from agencies
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