Publisher Sues Over Use of Monkey Character
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Houghton Mifflin Co. is suing Jews for Jesus, accusing the evangelical group of infringing the company’s copyright on its popular children’s storybook character, Curious George.
In a lawsuit filed in New York, Houghton, which was acquired this year by Vivendi Universal, Europe’s biggest media company, asks a federal judge to bar Jews for Jesus from distributing in New York and Minneapolis a pamphlet bearing the likeness of the mischievous monkey.
Jews for Jesus teaches that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, according to the group’s Web site. Susan Perlman, the associate executive director of San Francisco-based Jews for Jesus, said the group has parodied popular culture as a way of spreading its message for 29 years. “The 1st Amendment is in place for people just like us,” she said.
Houghton Mifflin began publishing the Curious George books 60 years ago. The company says it has sold more than 12 million books in the U.S. alone.
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