Violating Hello Kitty & Disney Mice Costs Anaheim Business Owners $80,000
Categories: Court, Disney Dirt
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| Hello Kitty |
A federal judge inside the Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse in Santa Ana this month determined that Carlos Rocca and Roxana Saltor of Inka Imports (a.k.a. Inka Arts) improperly sold items with "substantially identical likenesses" to the three internationally popular cartoon characters.
U.S. District Court Judge Josephine Staton Tucker also granted Disney Enterprises Inc., owner of the Mickey and Minnie Mouse rights, and Sanrio Inc., owner of the Hello Kitty empire, a permanent injunction against Rocca, Saltor and their business, which has been a member of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce.
Because the defendants abandoned their fight against the judgment and injunction late last year, Tucker determined that the plaintiff's factual allegations were valid and granted them all requested relief, including $75,000 in statutory damages and $4,600 in legal fees--plus interest if the amount isn't timely paid.
According to court records, Rocca has also used the name Carlos Salos, and Saltor has used Roxana Rocca and Roxana Salos.
The plaintiffs filed their federal lawsuit in December 2011 and pushed for the injunction 11 months later, after discovering the defendants were not negotiating a resolution in "good faith."
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