The animated character from Toy Story found at the N. Korea fashion show for suspected trademark infringement

This photo, shown by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on April 30, 2024, shows Disney-Pixar’s animated character Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear from ‘Toy Story 3’ on children’s clothing (front) shown at the spring clothing exhibition celebrating the was held the previous day in Pyongyang. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)

SEOUL, May 3 (Korea Bizwire) — North Korea appears to have violated trademark rights when it showed clothing featuring a famous animated character from Disney-Pixar’s 2010 film “Toy Story 3” at its latest fashion exhibition, photos distributed by state media showed on Friday.

Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, the film’s main antagonist, also known as Lotso Bear, was found on children’s clothing presented at the spring clothing exhibition held in Pyongyang on Monday, photos from the Korean Central News Agency showed . .

There is little chance that North Korea has formally struck a design copyright deal to produce such clothing, given that the reclusive regime has a track record of violating trademark and copyright rights.

This file image captured on footage from North Korea’s state-run Korean Central Television on Feb. 17, 2024, shows balloons featuring South Korean animated characters from “Super Wings” found as people celebrated the birthday of late former leader Kim Jong -il. (For use in the Republic of Korea only. No redistribution) (Yonhap)

Balloons featuring South Korean animated characters from “Super Wings” were spotted in Pyongyang in February around former leader Kim Jong Il’s birthday, according to footage broadcast by North Korean state television.

North Korean counterfeit products pirated from luxury brands, such as Chanel, Burberry and Dior, were also displayed at a department store in Pyongyang, as shown in a video recorded in 2022.

(Yonhap)