Universal Settles With Creator of NBA Pelicans’ ‘King Cake Baby’

June 30, 2021, 6:26 PM UTC

Universal City Studios LLC agreed to a settlement over a lawsuit that alleged the studio ripped off the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans’ “King Cake Baby” mascot, a Louisiana district court said.

Jonathan Bertuccelli, the mascot’s creator, had sued the studio in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana for using a baby mask in its films “Happy Death Day” and “Happy Death Day 2U” that resembled the King Cake Baby.

Bertuccelli said the horror movies’ use of the mask infringed his copyrights. Universal argued that Bertuccelli’s design had unprotectable elements, and that the designs weren’t that similar. ...

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