Credit: Ludo StudioThe Australian children’s show Bluey is a television sensation as is rarely seen in this day and age, a legitimate phenomenon that has enraptured kids across the globe and, by extension, the parents that need something to keep them occupied. As one could reasonably expect, the colossal popularity of Bluey comes with a lot of money, and, thus, legal issues.
This time around, BBC Studios (a subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Company, which co-commissioned Bluey with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) is cracking down on Walmart, Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, AliExpress, Wish.com, Etsy, DHgate, and many other distribution companies. However, Bluey‘s beef is not with those companies directly, but with currently unknown parties.
Related: Why Adults Love ‘Bluey’
According to the lawsuit (per Newsweek), Bluey merchandise is being heavily counterfeited and sold by companies like Walmart and Amazon, which surely cuts into somebody’s profit margin. BBC Studios is demanding that those companies stop selling unlicensed Bluey products, which include everything from T-shirts to electric toothbrushes to coloring books.
At this point in time, it is unclear if BBC Studios (which owns the merchandising rights to Bluey) knows exactly who is manufacturing unlicensed cartoon dog pajamas (and other products), but it seems that the first step is to stop third-party companies from selling them.
Bluey was created by Australian animator Joe Brumm and is produced by Ludo Studios; the series follows the adventures of the eponymous anthropomorphic Blue Heeler dog and her family and is deeply steeped in Australian culture and references, which makes its international success that much more surprising. The show first debuted in 2018 in Australia, immediately becoming a huge hit, and was optioned for distribution by the Walt Disney Company the following year.
Related: Who’s Really Watching ‘Bluey’?
Currently, Bluey is broadcast in the United States on Disney Junior and is available for streaming on Disney Plus in all markets except Australia, New Zealand, and China. The show’s three seasons (or series, if you’re somewhere in the Commonwealth) have been critically acclaimed, insanely popular, and produced tie-in products like books, clothing, children’s furniture, and even a stage play titled Bluey’s Big Play.
In other words, Bluey is a pretty massive piece of highly profitable IP, so it makes sense that BBC Studios would do everything in its considerable power to crush counterfeiters.
Sometimes it seems that IP has only really made it when high-profile lawsuits get involved, such as Pixar’s currently unfolding lawsuit regarding Toy Story 3‘s Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear (which is alleged to infringe on a real-life hugging bear toy) or restaurant Cracker Barrel’s imminent legal issue with Disney. Welcome to the club, Bluey.