Disney Wins 'Toy Story 4' Character Lawsuit

Disney and Pixar have put out a LOT of films over the years, from classics like Toy Story to newer works like Turning Red.

©Pixar

These movies have inspired things like merchandise, theme park rides, TV shows, and so much more. But, just because Pixar movies are popular doesn’t mean that the studio doesn’t step on some toes from time to time. A couple years ago, a lawsuit was filed against Disney due to a character in a certain Pixar film, and now, we have an update on the case.

Disney has won a lawsuit concerning a character from Pixar’s Toy Story 4 — Duke Caboom, the Canadian stuntman action figure voiced by actor Keanu Reeves. A U.S. appeals court upheld a ruling that the character did not unlawful copy the persona of Evel Knievel, according to Reuters.

Duke Caboom ©Disney

The lawsuit was brought against Disney in 2020 by the owner of Knievel’s intellectual property, K&K Promotions Inc. They said that the character Duke Caboom was based off of Evel Knievel and that the movie and its merchandise infringed on Knievel’s trademark and publicity rights.

©Disney

The case was thrown out last year citing the 1st Amendment protections having to do with artistic works. The court said the alleged used of Knievel’s persona for the character was artistically relevant to the movie, transformative, and did not mislead viewers.

©Disney

A three-judge panel said in the ruling that the character would not mislead audiences because “unlike Evel Knievel, Duke Caboom is a fictional character in an animated film about toys that come to life,” according to Reuters.

©Disney

The court also said that Disney did not violate Knievel’s publicity rights, saying that Duke Caboom is not a literal depiction and “instead shares general features basic to stuntmen.”