Epoch has sued TikTok account

[TaylorSwift 162,498]

The social media account Sylvanian Drama, which has frequently gone viral for its darkly comedic skits featuring small, anthropomorphic animal toys, mysteriously went quiet this year after it landed in legal hot water with the toys’ maker.

Epoch, the Japanese company behind the toys, sued the account’s creator earlier this year, claiming that she has been “doubling her efforts to exploit Epoch’s copyrights and trademarks for her own commercial gain” despite the company’s attempts to work the issue out amicably.

Online, Irish content creator Thea Von Engelbrechten has taken the adorable creatures and given them backstories with mature themes, putting them in real-world scenarios that aren’t as innocent or family-friendly as the dolls themselves appear to be.

Her Sylvanian Drama page has 2.5 million followers on TikTok and 1 million on Instagram. The videos, all of which feature Calico Critters, often rack up millions of views each. In these soap opera-style clips, the critters might be getting drunk, doing drugs, committing violence or doing other unsavory things.

The company accused Von Engelbrechten of copyright infringement, trademark infringement and unfair competition. It stated that she has been prominently featuring Calico Critters products in videos without permission, including for commercial purposes by advertising for other brands’ goods and services. The lawsuit added that she also uses a copyrighted image as Sylvanian Drama’s social media profile picture.

The lawsuit underscores the potential tensions that can arise when creators use branded materials as drivers of their content. Early gaming creators faced similar legal pushback when using copyrighted games and characters in their videos, for example. The case against Sylvanian Drama is the latest to highlight how the creator economy straddles the line between user-generated content and copyright protections.

Von Engelbrechten’s account has become so popular in recent years that some on the internet have begun to associate the toys with the Sylvanian Drama account more than the official Sylvanian Families or Calico Critters brands. In its lawsuit, Epoch wrote that Von Engelbrechten has caused “irreparable injury to Epoch’s goodwill and reputation,” noting that the brand was originally intended to engage children.

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/sylvanian-drama-lawsuit-rcna219668
 

 

[bionic 50,111]

Surely near zero chance of success and are just hoping to spook the creator into deleting

[dynamite 66,683]

Is this a labubu?

[NemoMyName 2,195]

Japanese companies don't joke about protecting their IPs

[Bronco 25,181]

The ironic bit is that the lawsuit will do more reputational harm than the meme account ever could

[littlepotter 76,612]

24 minutes ago, Bronco said:

The ironic bit is that the lawsuit will do more reputational harm than the meme account ever could

Besides it was literally free promo

[weed 78,977]

Boooo, tomato tomato

[Shipper 13,114]

My 10 year old niece got into Sylvanian stuff because my sister and I keep on sharing these reels. It was a free ad for them tbh.

[Pigatha 1,336]

I don't get why companies get upset over things like this, it never goes well for them publicity wise, just let them keep doing the free promo lol. Many people wouldn't have even heard about these toys if it weren't for that account lmao. 

[RebeldeFaith 5,759]

2 hours ago, littlepotter said:

Besides it was literally free promo

Literally!

I recently considered buying a pack because of those videos just for fun.

[artdoll 47,164]

2 hours ago, RebeldeFaith said:

Literally!

I recently considered buying a pack because of those videos just for fun.

Right? 'Cause besides the videos being humorous and attracting millions of people (free promo!), the figures themselves are super adorable and the videos showcased just that. 

[Bronco 25,181]

9 hours ago, littlepotter said:

Besides it was literally free promo

Honestly I didnt even know they were still around. I just assumed someone was using a collection they'd had for years 😂

[VTV 13,942]

Its literally the ever. 

[RebeldeFaith 5,759]

5 hours ago, artdoll said:

the figures themselves are super adorable and the videos showcased just that. 

Only if you watch in mute. 

[Knife 7,080]

The issue is that the creator used the IP AND accepted multiple brand deals advertising brands with the toys.