Disney Trades Person for Intellectual Property

Dotnaught writes "Walt Disney Company's ABC has traded sportscaster Al Michaels to General Electric Co.'s NBC for cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. NBC acquired the rights to the cartoon through its purchase of Universal Studios, which itself gained ownership of the animated rabbit through a contract that Walt Disney signed early in his career. Having to sign Oswald away supposedly prompted Disney to create Mickey Mouse, a character he'd own outright. The company that bears Disney's name fought tooth and nail to retain ownership of Mickey Mouse when the cartoon character's copyright was about to expire."

Disgusting

[eldavojohn]

(AP) At the NYSE, soul trading closed down five and a quarter points Friday afternoon. The worth of an average human soul has plummeted recently to a value not seen since the great depression. Disney has been pioneering the movement of trading souls regularly for concepts, legal action or maybe just a few dollars more.

Michael Eisner wasn't competent enough to comment.

trade ya

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll trade you my little brother for the rights to that piece of code you've got there.

What's the big deal?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds like a fair trade to me.

Oh man...

[qw0ntum]

I wonder what it feels like to know that you are worth a cartoon character?

From the mysterious future: Al Michaels commits suicide; friends cite work-related depression.

Steve Jobs needs a rabbit for his Apple

[postbigbang]

The rabbit will live in the iPod. Oswald will read his Powerbook, to gain Intel. His ferocity will grow into a dual core personality. Although we're not sure what comes NeXT, we're sure that there's no need for pesky sports announcers, after all. They just bitch and complain.

Relax, it's just sports

[Jarlsberg]

It's sports - they don't need a live human being to ask inane questions such as: "How many medals do you think we'll win the olympics", or "You just scored the winning goal, how did that feel?".

Now, I'll sit up and take notice if they'll replace a news anchor with Morbo, but I don't think that'll happen any time soon. (If you don't know Morbo, you're not with the in crowd on Slashdot.)

Re:Almost a copy

[fufubag]

There must have not been enough lawyers back then.

Poker Game

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, at least he wasn't lost in a poker game for a DBX Console.

\Read your act of God clause.

Michaels to Madden:

[ThatsNotFunny]

"I wish I could quit you..."

According to an NBC spokesman...

[Chris Mattern]

...the trade does leave NBC without a first-string cartoon character, but he went on to state, "We're hopeful we can pick one up in next year's draft."

Chris Mattern

Re:Who stole who's IP?

[Anonymous Coward]

Exec: Ok, all in favor of naming our newest character Bugs Bunny?
(all hands but one raise)
Exec: All in favor of Efrom the Retarded Rabbit?

Re:Relax, it's just sports

[geofferensis]

"(If you don't know Morbo, you're not with the in crowd on Slashdot.)"

I don't think any post on Slashdot has ever made me happier.

I have no clue who/what Morbo is.

Re:holy shit!

[Arslan ibn Da'ud]

Is there any person, event, or technology on this planet that doesn't have a conspiracy theory associated with him/her/it?

Yes...but THEY don't want you to know who it is.