Posted on 01/15/2005 9:03:14 PM PST by new cruelty
NEW YORK - See Dick and Jane. See Dick and Jane get a lawyer. Pearson Education, the publishing company that owns the copyright to the single-named stars of countless reading primers, is suing a division of Time Warner for co-opting the characters in a book called "Yiddish With Dick and Jane," according to The New York Times.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, claims the book violates Pearson's copyright. The book, which has sold more than 100,000 copies since it was published in September by Little, Brown & Company, is billed as a parody.
Not so, the lawsuit says. "Yiddish With Dick and Jane" "is not a parody, but is an unprotected imitation," the suit alleges.
Author Barbara Davilman, who co-wrote the book with Ellis Weiner, told the newspaper that she views the lawsuit as "a good old shakedown for money." The parody book takes Dick and Jane into adulthood, where they're faced with problems like adultery, ailing parents and sexual orientation.
Pearson declined further comment on the lawsuit, according to the Times. Little, Brown — a part of the Time Warner Book Group — issued a statement defending its product.
The book was "entitled to the full protection of the First Amendment and related laws permitting of social company," the statement said.
Ok thanks.
...thinking...I musta rented the cheaper version *LOL* (Kidding!!!! *L*)
Well, I sure don't remember that from MY Dick and Jane books; admittedly, I was a beginning reader, but I seemed to have missed the underlying "meaning" if it's NOT a parody.
I don't think the Dick and Jane people will win. This is analogous to the "The Wind Done Gone" case, in which a retelling of Gone With The Wind was deemed to be a parody, and not a misappropriation of someone else's intellectual property.
I thought at the time (and still do) that the "Wind" case was wrongly decided.
"Fun with Dick and Jane" is a has been.
In today's weird world it's been replaced with "Jane has fun with a Dick" !!! ;-))
Personally, I have nothing but ill feelings toward that series; as my early grade teachers made me recite that drivel while I was already reading encyclopedia articles. That was back when there were no gifted students, only disruptive ones.
Thnaks for the link! That was hysterical! LOL
I've seen that movie and the ONLY thing about that movie,that has anything at all even close to the old readers,is the title. So no,that isn't a parody at all,but this book it.
You DO realize that you are a nutcase, right?
ping
You have hurt my wittle feelings.
Filing Mod report now.
Jane Sees Dick
Jane Plays with Dick
Jane Likes Dick
I'm still trying to find Jane, btw. ;-)
Apololgize to martin now, you know how thin skinned he is... the personification of "The Fragile Freeper."
Seek help Martin. Seek help. ;)
"64. How best would you describe yourself? Heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual or transgender" :)
Apo-LOL!
"Fart",said Puff!
I WON'T, I tells ya! The Mods LOVE me. So he can go complaining to them all he likes.
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