TWH – A petition to stop Disney Enterprises, Inc. from trademarking the names of Norse gods has gained momentum. Disney Enterprises is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company and is the copyright holder and trademark owner of Disney-branded intellectual property. Disney Enterprises is typically the name that appears in litigation, court documents, and adjudications worldwide as it is responsible for defending the rights of Disney intellectual property against unauthorized use.
The petition emerged in response to Disney’s alleged attempt to trademark “Loki.” The name is eponymous with the hit series on the Disney+ streaming service and the, of course, the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Marvel’s Loki, played by actor Tom Hiddleston, and formally called in the MCU as Loki Laufeyson and through adoption as Loki Odinson bearing the title of the God of Mischief. The character debuted in comics in 1949 as a member of the Olympian gods.
The Marvel character is both a supervillain and antihero and typically portrayed as the rival of MCU’s Thor. MCU Loki later appeared in 1962 as Thor’s sworn enemy.
MCU Loki and MCU Thor debuted in film in 2011 and both have been popular fixtures in Disney’s MCU series.
The rumors around Disney Enterprises’ alleged trademarking began because of the removal of some Redbubble fan art. The website removed MCU Loki-based artwork reportedly because of Disney copyright claims. The artist punned the character using the term “Low Key” on a shirt and believes there is a connection between Disney and Redbubble’s decision.
Rebecca Tarn, on TikTok as LessonsFromLoki, forcefully responded to the Disney Enterprise strategy with a petition on Change.org, demanding that Disney stop any attempts to trademark the names of Norse gods. The response has been exceptional with almost 120,000 signatures gained in the few days of the petition.
Tarn wrote in the petition that, “Stan Lee understood that these gods are sacred to our community. He treated them with respect and with love. He knew that these gods do not belong to him. These gods do not belong to Disney and it is time that they were reminded of this.”
The Wild Hunt contacted Tarn about the idea and the petition.
When asked about how this idea came about, Tarn said, “To be totally honest it was more of an impulse than anything else. I saw an injustice being done and I couldn’t see that anyone else was taking action so I stood up for what I believe is right – the freedom for small businesses to sell deity products without fear of being struck down by a larger corporation purely because it includes the name of a god said corporations have no authority over.”
Tarn also noted that we must also defend the rights of small businesses in this matter. “I think it’s important for small businesses that sell deity candles, for example, or t-shirts with the word “Loki” or “Thor” on them to trade openly and freely without the anxiety caused by businesses such as Disney forcing them to cease trading or stop selling a particular product,” they said.
Tarn also clarified, “Obviously, if the candle has the Loki logo on with Tom Hiddleston’s face then that’s fair enough but if it’s written in the runes, or just the name “Loki”, it shouldn’t be an issue. This is what it is all about – it’s about supporting small businesses within our community – and these are the people being targeted. “
The issue is also broader than one pantheon. The deities, Loki and Thor, clearly preceded their MCU counterparts. But while the narrative within the MCU differs from the stories from the Eddas, the MCU characters take an obvious license from the spiritual stories but are part of Disney’s intellectual property.
Tarn underscored the importance of keeping commercialization out of the spiritual space, noting that while the current petition is about Norse gods, the same sentiment applies to all pantheons.
It seems also clear that the idea or strategies behind any trademarking attempts of pantheons focuses on minority faiths. It seems fair to note that an MCU Jesus would spark outrage, especially perhaps if shown in battle against Thanos or Dormammu.
But members of many faiths have signed the petition. Tarn said,“To be totally honest I have been surprised by the number of Christians and Atheists who have shown support for the petition – the tide is changing. This isn’t purely faith-based – this is a right to sell a product relating to a fair use subject. If they didn’t understand the need for the position in the first place, I would articulate it like that. The word Loki relates to the Norse god. His name is fair use as it has been in the public consciousness since before the Poetic Edda was written down.” Loki, Thor, and the names of other gods are in the public domain. MCU Loki is a different matter.
There has been no response about this issue from Disney at the moment nor clarity about whether it is pursuing trademarks of this kind. What seems clear, however, is that artists using MCU Loki imagery may wish to proceed with caution.
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