DC Comics and Hasbro have finally settled their legal battle over Bumblebee, and now both can continue on their merry way.
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The resolution hasn’t been publicly disclosed, but from appearances, it seems that both companies can continue selling toys based on the Bumblebee character name. The Southern District of New York’s Judge Lorna Schofield dismissed the case after DC’s attorneys delivered a settlement notice to the court (via Variety).
This all started last year when Hasbro sued DC Comics and Warner Bros.l over their character who shares the name Bumblebee, who is now a part of their popular DC Super Hero Girls brand. At the time Hasbro claimed that fans could easily confuse the characters, as they share the same name, though in fairness one is a young girl with wings and one is a giant yellow robot, so. you know, there’s that.
Here’s a relevant bit of information from the original lawsuit.
“Defendants’ and/or their licensees’ use of the Accused Mark is likely to cause consumers mistakenly to believe that the Accused Goods emanate from or are otherwise associated with Hasbro. Such improper use of the Accused Mark by Defendants and/or their licensees is likely to cause confusion, mistake and/or deception among the public as to the source of the Accused Goods.”
DC Comics’ version of the character actually existed before the Transformers version, though that version is much more well known. DC’s Bumblebee was created in 1977 while the Autobot came into being in 1983. Hasbro actually owns the trademark though, which they filed for onJuly 15, 2015.
The settlement comes at a good time for both companies. DC Super Hero Girls continues to be a popular brand for Warner Bros, with a host of comics, movies, and of course toys on store shelves. Meanwhile, Hasbro is delivering a Bumblebee solo film later this year, and there will be a host of toys based on the popular Transformer as a result.
Bumblebee stars Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Pamela Adlon, Stephen Schneider, Jorge Lendenborg Jr., Jason Drucker, Kenneth Choi, Ricardo Hoyos, Abby Quinn, Rachel Crow, and Grace Dzienny.
You can find the official synopsis for Bumblebee below.
“On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.”
Bumblebee hits theaters on December 21st.
