Tweety Bird is one of the most iconic cartoon characters from Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series. The bright yellow canary with his signature high-pitched voice has been entertaining audiences since his first appearance in 1942. However, there has been some debate over whether or not Tweety is still under copyright or if he has entered the public domain. This article will examine the history of Tweety Bird and the current legal status regarding his copyright.
History of Tweety Bird
Tweety Bird was created by animator Bob Clampett for the Warner Bros. cartoon A Tale of Two Kitties in 1942. The cartoon featured two cats named Babbit and Catstello (based on the comedic duo Abbot and Costello) who tried to devise ways to capture Tweety Bird for a meal. In his first appearance, Tweety was colored pink and lacked his trademark speech impediment. His name came from a minor bird character named Orson who made tweeting sounds from the 1941 Porky Pig film Porky’s Pooch.
Tweety quickly became one of the most popular Looney Tunes characters. His color was changed to yellow in 1947 to match the hue of common canaries. Animator Friz Freleng gave Tweety his baby-like speech in the late 1940s, having the bird replace his L’s and R’s with W’s. This helped enhance his innocent appearance and vulnerability against the menacing cat characters like Sylvester that chased him.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Tweety Bird starred in dozens of theatrical Looney Tunes shorts alongside Sylvester. Their iconic chase dynamic was consistently used for comedic effect. Tweety’s popularity led to several merchandise items being released with his likeness as well. By the 1990s, new Space Jam and Looney Tunes merchandise helped introduce Tweety to a new generation of fans. He also starred in the animated series The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries from 1995-2000 which depicted the pair as detective partners.
Tweety Bird Copyright History
The original cartoon shorts that featured Tweety Bird from the 1940s-1960s were produced by Warner Bros. At that time, copyright law required a work’s copyright to be renewed after an initial 28 year term in order to extend protection for another 47 years. This meant the copyrights on cartoons had to be renewed until 1962 to maintain control past the initial term.
For decades, Warner Bros. did renew the copyrights on all Looney Tunes shorts that contained Tweety Bird. This extended their exclusive rights to the character and cartoons through the 1990s and early 2000s. However, copyright law changed in 1978 to remove the renewal requirement for works produced after January 1, 1978. Any works produced since then are now automatically protected for the full 95 years without needing further renewal.
When Did Tweety Bird Enter Public Domain?
Tweety Bird officially entered the public domain on January 1, 2022. This is 95 years after his first appearance in the 1942 cartoon A Tale of Two Kitties. Although Warner Bros. had renewed the rights to that short film and others, copyright renewal extensions only lasted for a total of 75 years under the 1909 Copyright Act which was the law in effect at the time.
Since Tweety debuted in 1942, the cartoon’s rights expired 75 years later at the very start of 2017. At that point, Tweety Bird and his incarnation specifically in that first cartoon is considered public domain material. Any new depictions of Tweety after 1942 may still qualify for copyright protection, but his original version can be used freely.
Recent Legal Disputes
In the 2010s, there were a few legal disputes that dealt with copyright claims around older Looney Tunes characters including Tweety Bird.
In 2011, Warner Bros. threatened to sue a Minnesota brewery that wanted to use Tweety and other Looney Tunes in its beer art. The parties settled the dispute out of court with undisclosed terms.
In 2015, a judge ruled that certain Looney Tunes characters including Tweety entered the public domain in the U.K. after a London company was sued for its pencil cases featuring the characters. The judge determined the copyrights had expired on 50 Looney Tunes shorts in the U.K. This case did not affect the status of Tweety Bird under American copyright law however.
Under current law, any new Looney Tunes works produced after 1978 still maintain copyright protection. However, merchandise and content specifically using depictions of Tweety Bird from works that entered the public domain need to be evaluated differently in terms of applicable copyright law and status.
Limitations of Tweety Bird in Public Domain
While Tweety Bird himself is considered public domain, there are some limitations around how the character can be legally used:
– Tweety’s depictions in newer works such as Space Jam (1996), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), and various TV shows are still under copyright. Only his specific portrayal in pre-1978 cartoons that have expired copyrights can be used.
– Trademark law may restrict usage if it creates consumer confusion around brands. Warner Bros. still owns trademarks related to Looney Tunes and Tweety Bird’s visual likeness.
– Creative choices like Tweety’s yellow coloring and speech style may be distinctive enough to warrant some copyright protection, limiting exact duplication.
– Publicity rights of celebrities who voiced Tweety like Mel Blanc may control some commercial uses of very similar sounding voice work.
Examples of Legal Uses
Here are some examples of legal ways that Tweety Bird can be utilized now that he is in the public domain:
– Print posters, shirts, toys, or other merchandise featuring Tweety’s specific imagery and lines from pre-1978 cartoons.
– Create new animated content using a close reproduction of his original character and speech patterns.
– Make video mashups incorporating clips of Tweety Bird from expired copyrighted shorts.
– Use Tweety’s likeness on creative works like paintings that don’t directly copy from copyrighted materials.
– Write stories, songs, or other works featuring Tweety Bird as a character.
– Make commercial products featuring Tweety as long as they abide by trademark usage guidelines.
Conclusion
Tweety Bird entering the public domain allows greater creative use of the iconic character without infringing copyright law. However, his appearances in newer works are still protected, and trademark and publicity rights still give Warner Bros. substantial control in many commercial applications. For non-commercial uses like videos, artwork, and other creative outlets, Tweety’s original form can now be freely integrated without permission now that he is considered public domain. Looking forward, Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters will also start gradually entering the public domain over the next few decades.
Year | Copyright Status |
---|---|
1942 | Tweety Bird first debuts in A Tale of Two Kitties under Warner Bros. copyright |
1962 | Warner Bros. renews copyright on Tweety cartoons for extended protection |
1978 | Copyright Act is amended to grant automatic 95 year copyright term |
2017 | Tweety’s first cartoons start entering public domain after 75 years |
2022 | Tweety’s original character fully enters public domain |