Bloomberg Law Quoted Josh Gerben About the Phillie Phanatic Copyright Battle

The Philadelphia Phillies recently unveiled changes to the Phillie Phanatic mascot. The update comes in the middle of a copyright lawsuit between the Philadelphia Phillies and the original costume designer, Harrison/Erickson.

Josh Gerben was quoted by Bloomberg Law analyzing the reason behind the costume alterations:

“The team appears to be trying to add a layer to its lawsuit argument that Harrison/Erickson didn’t create the Phanatic alone, but that the franchise co-authored it through various contributions.”

“To me, it’s surprising that the Phillies had to take the step of even having to amend the costume, and that a deal couldn’t be reached. […] “It tells me the Phillies feel there’s a weakness to their case.”

Source: Jahner, Kyle.  “Phillie Phanatic Fight Shines Spotlight on Copyright Licensing” BloombergLaw.com.  February 26 2020.