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13 years on, Disney enjoys ‘Winnieng’ feeling
MUMBAI: Number 13 seems lucky for Walt Disney Co. A 13-year legal battle that the Little Big Mouse has been fighting to protect its proprietership over millions of dollars in merchandising rights for the much loved Winnie the Pooh character has been decided in its favour.
A Los Angeles judge ruled in Disney’s favour on Monday, 30 March, after finding that “the accusers systematically stole and altered Disney documents to gain advantage at the trial”.
The ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charles McCoy Jr., following a weeklong hearing on Disney’s so-called “trash motion” to dismiss the case brought by Stephen Slesinger Inc., said that that the Pooh rights-owner had “tampered with the administration of justice” by unlawfully obtaining Disney documents in the case.
The dispute, ongoing since 1991, centered around allegations that Disney had avoided paying royalties to the heirs of Stephen Slesinger by not reporting sales of Pooh merchandise to foreign licensees for years and not paying on other items allegedly covered by their licensing agreement as per various media reports.
Stephen Slesinger purchased the rights from Pooh creator AA Milne in 1929. His widow had licensed the rights to Walt Disney Jr in 1969. The allegation that it backed out of a royalty agreement with the Slesingers was denied by Disney and also stated that losing the case could cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars.
$ 6 million is spawned in revenue by Winnie the Pooh for Disney every year, which is more than any other character the company markets.
In February, Disney asked Judge Charles McCoy of the California Superior Court’s Complex Litigation Court to throw out the case against it, alleging the Slesingers stole and doctored Disney documents.
The Slesingers denied stealing the documents but did say that they obtained the documents from Disney’s “publicly accessible” trash containers.
Bret Fausett, an attorney for Stephen Slesinger Inc. said that the family will file an appeal, saying the evidence presented in the case does not support the judge’s decision, according to media reports.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
