Bloomberg Law
Jan. 11, 2021, 2:37 PM

Disney’s ‘Inside Out’ Copyright Win Stands as High Court Passes

Kyle Jahner
Kyle Jahner
IP Reporter

The Walt Disney Co. won’t have to defend its escape from copyright infringement claims over its emotion-themed characters in Pixar movie ‘Inside Out’ before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Disney’s anthropomorphized emotions in the 2015 film weren’t substantially similar to children’s emotional intelligence expert Denise Daniels’ “Moodsters” characters, lower courts ruled. The Supreme Court declined to hear Daniels’ appeal Monday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had affirmed a lower court’s quick dismissal in March.

Daniels alleged in her 2017 suit she created “Moodsters” in 2005 and pitched them to media companies including Pixar. But the courts said ...

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