Puddles the mascot is officially free.
Free of the Walt Disney Corporation, that is. However, the beloved mascot is still under the wings of the University.
Last week, Disney and the University struck a deal that separated the licensing of the school’s mascot and the licensing of the school’s merchandise. Negotiators reasoned that the likeness of the mascot differs from the likeness of the character frequently seen on T-shirts and other products. They said the image on T-shirts and other merchandise resembles Donald Duck more than the actual mascot. The mascot does not resemble the trademark Donald Duck enough to qualify for licensing.
Julie Brown, University director of media relations, said this decision resulted from ongoing discussions between the University and Disney.
“There are benefits to all if there was a change of oversight of the mascot specifically,” Brown said. “The overall agreement pertains to the character and the merchandise.”
Athletic department spokesperson Dave Williford said the decision didn’t affect the athletic department because the agreement exists between Disney and the University. But it does give the school more leeway.
“This obviously gives more latitude for the University to use the mascot,” he said.
The reason for a handover in licensing agreements is complicated.
The University received permission from Walt Disney himself in 1947 in a handshake deal with Leo Harris, the University’s first athletic director, to use Donald Duck as its mascot. However, upon Disney’s death in 1966, both the Disney Corporation and the University realized that a formal agreement didn’t exist. A contract was finally struck up that honors Disney’s original request that the mascot could stay with the University “as long as it was in good taste,” according to the athletic department’s Web site.
 
 
 
 
The deal has had some people asking questions as to whether it will affect the mascot’s use.
“Essentially he will appear at the same type of events,” Brown said. “The usage isn’t going to change much. There will probably be a little bit more flexibility. The use and the management will stay the same.”
Puddles the mascot can be seen the most at sports events, orientations and fundraisers.
University student Jamie Slade, member of the group Supwitchugirl and participant in the fall’s viral YouTube video “I Love My Ducks,” finds the situation humorous after what his band went through with the athletic department over the right to use the mascot in the video.
Supwitchugirl ruffled feathers with the University in the fall when Puddles appeared in the “I Love My Ducks” video, forcing the band to take the video off of YouTube.
“I think now we’re going to put the video back up on YouTube because the University told us to take it down (because of the licensing),” Slade said. “I’m not sure if ‘I Love My Ducks’ has anything to do with this agreement, but I think it’s funny now. I just wish that they had come to this agreement in the fall.”
Brown said that because of this new agreement, the relationship between the Univesity and Disney would become smoother.
“This essentially removes a step in the process of determining appropriate use of the mascot,” Brown said. “Prior to this agreement, we had to make written requests to use the mascot. Now these decisions are made on campus.”
The Walt Disney Corporation benefits in the agreement by streamlining its relationship with the University through focusing solely on merchandising.
“I’m not even sure Disney even saw the video,” Slade said. “I just know that the marketing department was worried about the video because Disney has sued people in the past before (for licensing infringement).”
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One duck…or two? (Part 1)
One duck…or two? (Part 2)